Fast Five... Not the Movie Franchise... Well Maybe a Little

Fast Five Friday is a weekly blog hop created by, us, Cover Girls. Its purpose is to connect with writers, readers, viewers, and bloggers. With that aim in mind, we would love for you to join us! 

We're suckers for lists, so we thought it'd be cool to do a weekly blog hop where we list things. We've provided the topics for each week below, with five being the focus . 

You're not required to post every week. You can pick and choose which topics you'd like to participate in. 

Whatever topics you decide to do, please include the link to your Fast Five Friday post in the comments section of our FFF post each week, so we can stop by and show our FFF love to you!

 Aug. 14: 5 action-packed flicks: THIS ONE IS HARD!!!

Transformers franchise

Hobbit franchise

Battleship

X-Men franchise

Resident Evil franchise

 

Bonus (cause I couldn’t decide): Fast & Furious franchise

 

Aug. 21: 5 top phone/iPad/kindle apps

Facebook

Twitter

Xfinity TV Go

Netflix

Instagram

 

Aug. 28: 5 websites/blogs you visit the most

Pinterest

Wikipedia

Huffington Post

NBC

Blogger Friends

  SEPTEMBER TOPICS:

Sept. 4: 5 books that had you bawling or near tears
Sept. 11: 5 things you're looking forward to in the fall

Sept. 18: 5 books you’d like to see turned into movies/TV shows

Sept. 25: 5 most anticipated books

 

 

A to Z: Z

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

Z

 

Randomness about Myself 

Za-zen
Zodiac
Zealous
Z Nation


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
ZEN AND Π

 

2015 Book

Zeroes (Zeros #1) by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, & Deborah Biancotti

 

Ethan, aka "Scam", has a way with words. When he opens his mouth, whatever he wants you to hear comes out. But Ethan isn't just a smooth talker. He has a unique ability to say things he doesn't consciously even know. Sometimes the voice helps, but sometimes it hurts - like now, when the voice has lied and has landed Ethan in a massive mess. So now Ethan needs help. And he needs to go to the last people who would ever want to help him - his former group of friends, the self-named "zeros" who also all possess similarly double-edged abilities, and who are all angry at Ethan for their own respective reasons. Brought back together by Scam's latest mischief, they find themselves entangled in an epic, whirlwind adventure packed with as much interpersonal drama as mind-bending action.

 

 

 

 

Hope everyone had an amazing A to Z month! See you on the flip side!

 

Express Yourself & FFF starts back up in May!

A to Z: Y

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

Y

 

Randomness about Myself 

Yoga
YouTube
Young at heart
YA Genre


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
Yelena Casale's Writing Blog

 

2015 Book

Young Widows Club by Alexandra Coutts

 

First came love, then came marriage, and then...

For seventeen-year-old Tam, running off to marry her musician boyfriend is the ideal escape from her claustrophobic high-school life on the island, and the ultimate rebellion against her father and stepmother. But when Tam becomes a widow just weeks later, the shell-shocked teen is forced to find her way forward by going back to the life she thought she’d moved beyond—even as her struggle to deal with her grief is forcing her to reinvent herself and reach out to others in ways she never imagined.

A to Z: X

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

X

 

Randomness about Myself 

Xfinity Apps
Xyst Gardens
Xylography
X Men


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
Xpresso Reads

 

2015 Book

X by Ilyasah Shabazz, Kekla Magoon

 

Cowritten by Malcolm X’s daughter, this riveting and revealing novel follows the formative years of the man whose words and actions shook the world.

I am Malcolm.
I am my father’s son. But to be my father’s son means that they will always come for me.
They will always come for me, and I will always succumb.

Malcolm Little’s parents have always told him that he can achieve anything, but from what he can tell, that's nothing but a pack of lies—after all, his father's been murdered, his mother's been taken away, and his dreams of becoming a lawyer have gotten him laughed out of school. There’s no point in trying, he figures, and lured by the nightlife of Boston and New York, he escapes into a world of fancy suits, jazz, girls, and reefer.

But Malcolm’s efforts to leave the past behind lead him into increasingly dangerous territory when what starts as some small-time hustling quickly spins out of control. Deep down, he knows that the freedom he’s found is only an illusion—and that he can't run forever.

X follows Malcolm from his childhood to his imprisonment for theft at age twenty, when he found the faith that would lead him to forge a new path and command a voice that still resonates today.

A to Z: W

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

W

 

Randomness about Myself 

Walking Dead
Wrestling
Writing
Working Out


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
(The) Write Mage

but during A to Z she will posting her COLORS theme here...

April Dailies

 

2015 Book

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer

 

Here is the stunning conclusion to the national bestselling Lunar Chronicles, inspired by Snow White.

When Princess Winter was thirteen, the rumor around the Lunar court was that her glamour would soon be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana. In a fit of jealousy, Levana disfigured Winter. Four years later, Winter has sworn off the use of her glamour altogether. Despite her scars, Winter’s natural beauty, her grace, and her gentleness are winning admiration from the Lunar people that no amount of mind-control could achieve.

Winter despises her stepmother, but has never dreamed of standing up to her. That is, until she realizes that she may be the only one with the power to confront the queen.

Can Cinder, Prince Kai, Scarlet, Wolf, Cress, Thorne, Princess Winter, and the palace guard Jacin find their happily ever afters? Fans will LOVE this amazing conclusion to the series.

A to Z: V

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

V

 

Randomness about Myself 

Vacations
VW Buses
Vikings (TV show)
Vivacious

Blogs/Bloggers 

 
Vive le Nerd 

 

2015 Book

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

 

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

"Alarming and uplifting, a rare psychological thriller that has a kind heart at its center. Read it with all the lights on." -- E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars.

A to Z: U

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

U

 

Randomness about Myself 

Understanging
Unique (aren't we all)
Underestimated
Unity

Blogs/Bloggers 

 
Under the Tiki Hut
 
 

2015 Book

Unmade (Entangled #2) by Amy Rose Capetta

 

The galaxy-spanning conclusion to Amy Rose Capetta's acclaimed sci-fi debut, Entangled.

Cadence is in a race against time and space to save her family and friends from the Unmakers, who are tracking the last vestiges of humanity across the cosmos. As the epic battle begins, Cade learns that letting people in also means letting them go. The universe spins out of control and Cade alone must face the music in the page-turning conclusion to Entangled.

A to Z: T

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

T

 

Randomness about Myself 

Twitter
Traveling
Tattoos
Trees


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
TEOTWAWKI Blog

 

2015 Book

Tear You Apart (Beau Rivage) by Sarah Cross

 

If you want to live happily ever after, first you have to stay alive.

Viv knows there’s no escaping her fairy-tale curse. One day her beautiful stepmother will feed her a poison apple or convince her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Henley, to hunt her down and cut out her heart before she breaks his. In the city of Beau Rivage, some princesses are destined to be prey.

But then Viv receives an invitation to the exclusive club where the Twelve Dancing Princesses twirl away their nights. There she meets Jasper, an underworld prince who seems to have everything—but what he really wants is her. He vows to save her from her dark fate if she’ll join him and be his queen.

All Viv has to do is tear herself away from the huntsman boy who still holds her heart. Then she might live to see if happily ever after is a promise the prince can keep. But is life as an underworld queen worth sacrificing the true love that might kill her?

A to Z: S

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

S

 

Randomness about Myself 

Sarcastic
Socks (fuzzy ones)
Shutterfly
Steampunk


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
Sarah Marsh Writes 

 

2015 Book

The Sin Eater’s Daughter (The Sin Eater’s Daughter #1) by Melinda Salisbury

 

I am the perfect weapon.
I kill with a single touch.

Twylla is blessed. The Gods have chosen her to marry a prince, and rule the kingdom. But the favour of the Gods has it's price. A deadly poison infuses her skin. Those who anger the queen must die under Twylla's fatal touch.

Only Lief, an outspoken new guard, can see past Twylla's chilling role to the girls she truly is.

Yet in a court as dangerous and the queen's, some truths should not be told...

A to Z: R

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

R

 

Randomness about Myself 

Reading
Researcher
Rational
Rebel


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
Robin Writes
 

 

2015 Book

The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater

 

The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

In a starred review for Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Kirkus Reviews declared: "Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close."

 

A to Z: Q

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

Q

 

Randomness about Myself 

Quilling
Quirky
Quizzical
Quick


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
(The) Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment
 

 

2015 Book

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas

 

Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series reaches new heights in this sweeping fourth volume.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

A to Z: P

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

P

 

Randomness about Myself 

Pinterest
Painting
Photography
Pizza


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
Pearson Report
 

 

2015 Book

The Prey (The Hatchery #1) by Tom Isbell

 

A hot debut trilogy and a riveting story of survival, courage, and romance in a future where creating a master civilization is the only thing prized, no matter the method. After the Omega (the end of the end), 16 year old guys known as LTs discover their overseers are raising them not to be soldiers (lieutenants) as promised, but to be sold as bait because of their Less Than status and hunted for sport. They escape and join forces with a girls’ camp, the Sisters, who have been imprisoned and experimented on for the "good of the Republic," by a government eager to use twins in their dark research. In their plight for freedom, these heroes must find the best in themselves to fight against the worst in their enemies.

A to Z: O

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

O

 

Randomness about Myself 

Ostentatious yet modest
Osculate
OCD
Optimistic


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
(The) Other Side Blog
 

 

2015 Book

The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1) by Jodi Meadows

 

She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.

She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.

She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others

Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.

A to Z: N

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get.

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

N

 

Randomness about Myself 

Netflix
Nature
Naps
Narnia


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
(The) Narrator's Study
 

 

2015 Book

Nil Unlocked (Nil #2) by Lynne Matson

 

On the island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape—or you die. Rives is now the undisputed Leader of Nil City, but keeping the City united is tougher than ever.

Raiders have grown bolder, supplies are dwindling, and non-human inhabitants have taken a turn toward the deadly. New arrivals cause rifts within the City, putting the Search system at risk, and calling everything Rives knows into question. Desperate for answers, he teams up with the only other person searching for them: Skye, a new arrival with a mysterious past of her own. Soon the duo find themselves locked in a desperate race to save all the residents of Nil—and possibly destroy the island forever. But at what cost? And who will pay the price?

A to Z: M

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get).

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

M

 

Randomness about Myself 

Movies/Music
Misophonia
Middle Earth
Magic


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
Morgan Shamy
 

 

2015 Book

Marrow by Tarryn Fisher

 

In the Bone there is a house.

In the house there is a girl.

In the girl there is a darkness.

Margo is not like other girls. She lives in a derelict neighborhood called the Bone, in a cursed house, with her cursed mother, who hasn’t spoken to her in over two years. She lives her days feeling invisible. It’s not until she develops a friendship with her wheelchair-bound neighbor, Judah Grant, that things begin to change. When neighborhood girl, seven-year-old Neveah Anthony, goes missing, Judah sets out to help Margo uncover what happened to her.

What Margo finds changes her, and with a new perspective on life, she’s determined to find evil and punish it–targeting rapists and child molesters, one by one.

But hunting evil is dangerous, and Margo risks losing everything, including her own soul.

A to Z: L

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get).

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

L

 

Randomness about Myself 

Lake Cottage
Leggings
List maker
Library


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
Literary Engineer
 

 

2015 Book

Liars, Inc. by Paula Stokes

 

For fans of Gone Girl, I Hunt Killers, and TV's How to Get Away with Murder.

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.

Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.

A to Z: K

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get).

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

K

 

Randomness about Myself 

Kids
Kindle
Kayaking
Knowledgeable-ish


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
Kidbits
 

 

2015 Book

Kalahari (Corpus #3) by Jessica Khoury

 

Deep in the Kalahari Desert, a Corpus lab protects a dangerous secret…

But what happens when that secret takes on a life of its own?

When an educational safari goes wrong, five teens find themselves stranded in the Kalahari Desert without a guide. It’s up to Sarah, the daughter of zoologists, to keep them alive and lead them to safety, calling on survival know-how from years of growing up in remote and exotic locales. Battling dehydration, starvation and the pangs of first love, she does her best to hold it together, even as their circumstances grow increasingly desperate.

But soon a terrifying encounter makes Sarah question everything she’s ever known about the natural world. A silver lion, as though made of mercury, makes a vicious, unprovoked attack on the group. After a narrow escape, they uncover the chilling truth behind the lion’s silver sheen: a highly contagious and deadly virus that threatens to ravage the entire area—and eliminate life as they know it.

In this breathtaking new novel by the acclaimed author of Origin and Vitro, Sarah and the others must not only outrun the virus, but its creators, who will stop at nothing to wipe every trace of it.

A to Z: J

For my 2015 AtoZ Challenge I'm featuring...

 

4-1-1
 

*4 random words/descriptions/tools about myself,

*1 blog I adore so much I would like everyone else to follow (it's only 26 new amazing blogs to add to your list if you haven't already),

*1, 2015 novel.

*Which all start with the letter of the day or as close as I could get).

 

Simple, fast posts so you can read, comment, and move on to the next A to Z blogger. Enjoy!

 

J

 

Randomness about Myself 

January
Junk Food
Journeys
Jeep Girl


Blogs/Bloggers 

 
Julie Flanders
 

 

2015 Book

Jars of Clay (The Lilith Scroll) by B.L. Marsh