Wednesday 25 February 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Waiting on Wednesday

 A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that people are eagerly anticipating.

My choice for Waiting on Wednesday this week is:



Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
 Publication: October 6th 2015 by Henry Holt and Company

Game of Thrones meets Ocean's Eleven in this brand-book in the world of the Grisha by New York Times-bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
 

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
 

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.
 


Tuesday 24 February 2015

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish 
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is Top Ten Favourite Heroines From The Fantasy Genre 




Nym from Storm Siren – Nym‘s character development and determination to be a good person really makes up the book

Isra from Of Beauty and Beast – Isra’s lifestyle which she adapts to her inability to see shows her personality and what type of princess she is

Sybella from Dark Triumph – Sybella is a broken character who tries too hard to hide it and you just admire her strength to try and move on from her past

Penryn from Angelfall – Penryn is a normal teenager living in a post apocalyptic world which results in her finding her inner badass

Scarlet from Scarlet – Scarlet is my favourite heroine from TLC so far because she’s very strong willing and caring even when she’s thrown in unusual situations

Eleanor from Something Strange and Deadly – Eleanor’s hunger for information is relatable as a reader and her ability to adapt to situations and deal with their consequences showcases her strength as a character

Lela from Sanctum – Lela’s decisions lead to situations in which she’s not used to but her resolve to protect and find someone leads to her gaining these skills and characteristics to be a good heroine

Nastasya from Immortal Beloved – Nastasya may have her faults but she changes a lot in the book and series which when compared to her first appearance makes her so much more likable

Rose from Vampire Academy – Rose is such a great best friend and so comfortable in her own skin


Yelena from Poison Study – Yelena’s past is horrible but her capabilities to move on from that and into different situations and still survive just make you really love her 

Tuesday 17 February 2015

My First Year With My Blog

A Year Later: Celebrating My First Year With My Blog 

 Last year on 17th February 2014 I decided to make my blog – a big step for me. I’d spent the last couple of years stalking book blogs, obsessing over books on Goodreads and reading a ton of reviews. Then all of a sudden I had a blog, I was writing reviews of my own and I was still obsessing over books.

The change from viewer to blogger was easier than I expected but there were difficulties. Like readings slumps equalling no reviews, not knowing what to write in reviews, creating a blog theme I liked and adding additional context to my blog aside from reviews. But those problems were easily solved;

Reading Slumps – I hated not finishing books but it’s easier to read a book you’re interested in than force yourself to finish a book you dislike or have no motivation to read

Writing Reviews – The best way to write reviews is to focus on main sections like the plot, writing style, characters and things you enjoyed/disliked the most

Blog Theme – I kept my blog simple as I previously tried way too hard to make it complicated

Additional Context – There are a ton of weekly memes out there

Along the year I’ve gained readers from different places of the globe which is amazing – like someone from a different country has read/been on my blog! I’ve also interacted with some awesome people who share the same views on certain books as me and in addition widened my range of genres that I read.

What I want to change is the fact I don’t really interact with people on my blog as much as I want to and I hope in the next year I will.

On a recent note – In total I have read 1 book this year. Yep 1! This slow progress is due to school and exams and it seems like it’ll continue this way till the start of summer when my exams start so I’ll be posting less reviews than before. But I don’t want my blog to be dead so I’m thinking of adding a few extra posts to my blog things that could create discussions and all. If anybody has any idea on what I could include leave a comment below.

It’s been a pretty eventful year and life which means there’s less time for my blog and at times I’ve wanted to delete it all but I’ve never done it. If anybody feels as if for any reason they want to quit blogging and their blog give it another couple of days because things change very quickly and you don’t want to make a rash decision.

Wednesday 11 February 2015

Waiting on Wednesday:End of Days by Susan Ee

Waiting on Wednesday

 A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that people are eagerly anticipating.

My choice for Waiting on Wednesday this week is:



End of Days 
by Susan Ee

Publication: May 12th 2015 by Skyscape

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?
 

Monday 9 February 2015

Thursday 5 February 2015

February TBR


My Top 6 YA February TBR


Red Queen 
by Victoria Aveyard 
Publication: February 10th 2015 by Orion, 320 pages
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.
But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?  

The Ruby Circle
by Richelle Mead 
Publication: February 10th 2015 by Razorbill, 400 pages
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.


My Heart and Other Black Holes
by Jasmine Warga 
Publication: February 10th 2015 by Balzer + Bray, 320 pages
A stunning novel about the transformative power of love, perfect for fans of Jay Asher and Laurie Halse Anderson.

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There's only one problem: she's not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel's convinced she's found her solution—Roman, a teenage boy who's haunted by a family tragedy, is looking for a partner. Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other's broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together.


The Glass Arrow
by Kristen Simmons 
Publication: February 10th 2015 by Tor Teen, 336 pages
The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.

In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning.
 


The Sin Eater's Daughter 
by Melinda Salisbury 
Publication: February 24th 2015 by Scholastic Press, 320 pages
Seventeen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she’s engaged to the prince, Twylla isn’t exactly a member of the court.

She’s the executioner.

As the Goddess embodied, Twylla instantly kills anyone she touches. Each month she’s taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love a girl with murder in her veins. Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to Twylla’s fatal touch, avoids her company.

But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose easy smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he’s able to look past Twylla’s executioner robes and see the girl, not the Goddess. Yet Twylla’s been promised to the prince, and knows what happens to people who cross the queen.

However, a treasonous secret is the least of Twylla’s problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies, a plan that requires a stomach-churning, unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?
 


I'll Meet You There
by Heather Demetrios 
Published February 3rd 2015 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 400 pages
If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.
 


Wednesday 4 February 2015

Waiting on Wednesday:A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Waiting on Wednesday

 A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that people are eagerly anticipating.

My choice for Waiting on Wednesday this week is:



A Madness So Discreet
by Mindy McGinnis 

Publication: October 6th 2015 by Harpercollins, 384 pages

Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.


Tuesday 3 February 2015

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish 
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Haven't/Want To Read From The Fantasy Genre 




The Lost Hero By Rick Riordan – Being a big fan of the Percy Jackson series and mythology I have no clue to why I haven’t read this series.

Fairest by Marissa Meyer – Though this is a recent release I just love The Lunar Chronicles and with Queen Levana being the main antagonist it’s interesting to see what her back story will be. Plus that cover is gorgeous.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu – I’ve read the Legend series and really enjoyed it. The plot sounds interesting and the reviews are good for the book.  

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor – The conclusion to an epic trilogy! Need to read it.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson – Why I haven’t read this book – I have no clue.

The Diviners by Libba Bray – I actually own this book but it’s really long and I don’t know if I want to read it right now.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones – I actually haven’t heard much about this book which is funny considering how old it is but it sounds like a fun read.

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead – With the series concluding this year I feel as if it’s time to catch up and marathon this series.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare – I actually really want to read this book but I heard it has a love triangle in it which is just so not my thing.


Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Mass – Everybody seems to love Throne of Glass except me – it was a decent read but I want to reread the series as people claim it gets better as the series continues.  

Monday 2 February 2015

Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis Review

Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis


Otherbound is the story of Nolan and Amara, two people who share a mind link. Every time Nolan blinks he’s transported to Amara’s world and forced to witness her ordeals until the day comes when he gains control over Amara’s body. Nolan a teenage boy has had his life ruined by his ability to see another world, Amara has never felt the connection until Nolan takes over her leaving her angry and setting of a chain of events which will change the way both Nolan and Amara view her world.   

As a reader it’s very easy imagine characters going through their story -  if the story is written well enough and putting myself in Nolan’s shoes the idea of actually experiencing it through the main character’s eyes alongside them sounded really fun. I also liked the aspect that this wasn’t a story were their bond was mutually known and they’d already developed a relationship but instead was a novel where they didn’t really know each other.

The book mainly focused on the plot and it felt like the characters weren’t described/introduced well enough, it seemed as if the characters were second to the plot which didn’t suit the book. Though from what we know of the characters they weren’t bad; they didn’t annoy me, they made a range of bad and good decisions which affected the latter events and the multi-perspectives didn’t annoy me like they normally do because both sides of the stories were interesting to read and not repetitive.

This book is very diverse; it has a range of races, sexualities and people with disabilities.  Which I think is very important to books in general but also YA books. I also liked the idea that Nolan and Amara weren’t love interests as it’s a cliché that’s been overused but for Amara’s romance and relationships I felt they were very quick and undeveloped.

What I didn’t like about this book was the pace. At first the book started at perfectly fine but then it started to drag and drag and got boring. About 2/3 of the way in both Nolan and Amara are trying to solve a mystery behind Cilla and that’s when it starts to get boring and go downhill. Literally everything sort of fell apart and the plot didn’t run smoothly. Plus the ending was bad and rushed.


★★★☆☆