tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81581433732422185572024-03-19T05:25:19.294-04:00My Thoughts Literally!"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies... The man who never reads lives only one." George R.R MartinMy Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.comBlogger1296125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-38411218671916738572019-11-18T10:00:00.000-05:002019-11-18T10:07:36.984-05:00Review: The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh<table background="https://www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/yellow-square-225x225.jpg"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547578763l/42265183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547578763l/42265183.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> The Beautiful</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Series: The Beautiful #1</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Renee Ahdieh</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: October 8, 2019 by G.P. Putnam Books for Young Readers (Penguin Group)</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=42265183&ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42265183-the-beautiful">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien's guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.<br />
<br />
When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.<br />
<br />
At once a sultry romance and a thrilling murder mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet: <i>The Beautiful</i>.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I really enjoy Renee Ahdieh's writing so when I heard she was coming out with a book about vampires set in New Orleans I was so excited to read it. And then I was even more excited to get a copy at ALA in June. And while the writing was beautiful and the concept is fantastic but it didn’t quite deliver on what I was hoping for.<br />
<br />
One thing that I did like about this book is Renee’s writing. I have red all her books and she is an incredibly descriptive writer. Everything really comes to life in her books. In this case she is taking New Orleans in the 1870’s and adding supernatural elements. I remember going to New Orleans and hearing all the stories about ghosts, vampires, and witches so it made for the perfect setting for a book like this. And while I don’t know that there was a real feeling of time and place, I do feel like the setting was lush and engaging.<br />
<br />
However, the plot was a little lacking for me. There really could have been a fantastic murder mystery to this book but it just didn’t deliver on that. I felt like the main character wasn’t really trying to figure out who was responsible for what happened. She was just sort of on the periphery of what was going on. I wish she had been much more involved in everything. When it comes down to it, this just felt like a serious case of first book syndrome when it came to the plot.<br />
<br />
I think my biggest issue is that I am realizing how hard I am to please when it comes to books about vampires. To be honestX I really cannot handle the dramatic irony involved in most of the stories that involves vampires. I know there are vampires, and the characters do not so they look obtuse and it gets in the way of me liking them and the book.<br />
<br />
And as far as the characters go, I think think they other thing that I didn’t love was the romance. This really felt like a throwback to an mid-2000’s YA with the romance. Not only did we have a love triangle but it was with two guys who were former best friends turned rivals who are obsessed with this girl after first meeting her. See what I mean about it all being a throwback? It just felt so trope-y and that really is not my thing. If it played with and attempted to subvert the tropes I would be here for it but it bought into them too much for my taste.<br />
<br />
On the whole, I didn't enjoy The Beautiful as much as I was expecting. I know a ton of people loved this book, it just wasn’t for me. I wanted more from the plot and less from the romance. I think I am just the black sheep here.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh 7.5 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwy_84C4DrnEVMTaRFAAKon4xEADsxzxdU3ApIMDdHSRFMXMCHVa5hzp06G1wPHC9z3sjaJ1PtOVTGmizzmrDspwXgZ2bTIMKs7cZcWfM6B7aBgoDR5jbc4oD_2fh5HCFvx__ER7-MmGU/s640/blogger-image-897907107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="640" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwy_84C4DrnEVMTaRFAAKon4xEADsxzxdU3ApIMDdHSRFMXMCHVa5hzp06G1wPHC9z3sjaJ1PtOVTGmizzmrDspwXgZ2bTIMKs7cZcWfM6B7aBgoDR5jbc4oD_2fh5HCFvx__ER7-MmGU/s200/blogger-image-897907107.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass</span></u>: Borrow. </b>If you are a fan of supernatural romances and are looking for something with a throwback YA vibe then check this out. But if you want a dark and gothic adventure and mystery, look elsewhere. <br />
<br />
Have you read The Beautiful? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-19283882849875288792019-10-24T10:00:00.000-04:002019-11-18T09:56:43.001-05:00Book Review: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo<table background="https://www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/yellow-square-225x225.jpg"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553102141l/43263680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553102141l/43263680.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> Ninth House</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Series: Alex Stern #1</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Leigh Bardugo</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: October 15, 2019 by Flatiron Books (Macmillan)</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=32333175&ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32333175-tash-hearts-tolstoy">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her? </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"> Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.
</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i>The mesmerizing adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo. </i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you were not aware, I am a huge fan of Leigh Bardugo’s books. I have read, and loved, every single one of them. So I was extra excited when I heard she was coming out with a new Adult book that was about secret societies and ghosts. And seriously, you guys, this book did not disappoint. Ninth House was everything I wanted it to be and more.<br />
<br />
First and foremost, I absolutely loved the plot development of this book. There were so many elements to this story and they all worked together to create something truly fascinating. This was one of those books with a complex and intriguing mystery which elements that slowly unfold throughout the story. I usually consider myself really good at figuring out mysteries but this one truly stumped me. I had no idea what was happening until the big reveal. And it’s not that there weren’t clues, there was just so many elements that you needed to know them all first. Leigh masterfully unraveled the mystery here and it truly had me on the edge of my seat.<br />
<br />
Another fantastic thing about this book was the world. This is the perfect book to read during the Halloween and fall season because it really had amazing atmosphere. The main character of Alex can see ghosts so of course they were a huge element of the story but the magic and supernatural elements does not stop there. Each secret society has their own magic which is tied to their house. We only got the barest hint of each of their powers but I was fascinated by them. But we also only got a little of Alex’s powers as well. I don’t want to give too much away but there is so much more to explore in the next book.<br />
<br />
Part of what made to world fantastic was the setting. I absolutely loved the New Haven and Yale setting. As a New Englander, I love books set in New England. But honestly, you don’t really see many books about New Haven. And after this book, I don’t really understand why. There is so much to this city and it made for the perfect setting for this book. First of all, there is the real ghost stories and unexplained phenomena of the city. I wonder how much research Leigh did into these elements. I know she went to Yale and was a part of a secret society but it is the actual history of the city that interested me most. I wonder how much of these are real those stories from New Haven. It for sure makes me want to go on a ghost tour the next time I am there. But the other thing that made this city a good setting for this book is the dichotomy between the haves and have nots. Most New England cities with Ivy League colleges have an element of that and I love the way it was explored in this book. It made for one more complex and engaging element of the book.<br />
<br />
As far as the characters, this is one more example as to how good Leigh is at doing dark and odious characters. So many of the secondary characters were terrible people doing terrible things, which honestly was something I love. Then you have the main character Alex, who is one of those unlikable female protagonists that I love so much. She is prickly and sullen with a tortured past that she is still trying to get over. She’s not the kind of person you really want to relate to, but you can’t help but do it. I was definitely rooting for her, even when she was making stupid and sometimes self-destructive choices. Darlington, however, was easy to like. He’s charming and intelligent. My friend Pili pointed out that he has Gansey vibes and she is totally right. He is the kind of person who wants there to be magic in the world and is looking for it. They were great fools for one another and therefore made a great team. And honestly, I’m so glad there wasn’t a romantic element to their relationship. It didn’t need it, and I didn’t miss it. The characters here really were fantastic and complex.<br />
<br />
Seriously, this book was so amazing. I have heard nothing but great things and I am not at all surprised I loved it. Leigh is a master storyteller and she did just as amazing job with an Adult paranormal mystery as does with YA high fantasy. This book was brilliant, dark, and complex.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo 9.5 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.repocast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Star-Rating-9.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="800" height="78" src="https://www.repocast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Star-Rating-9.5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass:</span></u> BUY!</b> Definitely get this book. If you are a fan of Leigh's or not you should read this book. It is unlike anything she has previously written but still has all the elements of why she is one of my favorite authors. It is atmospheric and dark and is the perfect read for fall. You must pick it up!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-45692473236762080992019-10-18T07:00:00.000-04:002019-10-18T07:00:00.330-04:00Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor Blog Tour: Review and Favorite Quotes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://ucbe9d53df18c6be72443222678f.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/AAkCfmMjh9r0ywK_kTi7Lx6lws1zhW7zgod18qQ51tUYeF08I2G8ucOFCy9wCEMB2iUFOATRnVn1Qb7ylOcNIOyLZxFAPmu-UOmfJabF_yKjBUAtrJvZ1wv4rFHsy1hCWUKfp5vIIEFRGiMLPGvzhoVp860F2Cv25u28Pdyzm_LynBQNNWcB2Qd68ykBpQKqwifPRC_t0hI1Gy5qnZmS3EB_j79wGjhA7uX1Q-TqrGOduFNHKnKqRWs0NMVHbolp8rMoeOlGiQEOPtk4GXdal6FK3RZr8TJmRuQdxtUomuen1neNJgnU7iNSM4Fxllq5KqKKhZudwDdMPVQjGfB82DSRxyoU-o2Eujs9nHq2fKKFdP1IFWxBAxu6L6e_ezKdcbQeDgnpDH4-NzAqYvsFwZnoGxnq6tkV7M2sFQI72NSv-Lprj-bYHA96K1lVRhYxww-quJj83Zdf330fCnJuRFWI53UOTQoemlrHfyKXOKKkSuE8WlEgh93khbIaF8BbasIZZ9aw3KAIPqKUmDKVD-krxeooy1ziHt0QuPrhwkFEbg/p.png?fv_content=true&size_mode=5" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="800" height="330" src="https://ucbe9d53df18c6be72443222678f.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/AAkCfmMjh9r0ywK_kTi7Lx6lws1zhW7zgod18qQ51tUYeF08I2G8ucOFCy9wCEMB2iUFOATRnVn1Qb7ylOcNIOyLZxFAPmu-UOmfJabF_yKjBUAtrJvZ1wv4rFHsy1hCWUKfp5vIIEFRGiMLPGvzhoVp860F2Cv25u28Pdyzm_LynBQNNWcB2Qd68ykBpQKqwifPRC_t0hI1Gy5qnZmS3EB_j79wGjhA7uX1Q-TqrGOduFNHKnKqRWs0NMVHbolp8rMoeOlGiQEOPtk4GXdal6FK3RZr8TJmRuQdxtUomuen1neNJgnU7iNSM4Fxllq5KqKKhZudwDdMPVQjGfB82DSRxyoU-o2Eujs9nHq2fKKFdP1IFWxBAxu6L6e_ezKdcbQeDgnpDH4-NzAqYvsFwZnoGxnq6tkV7M2sFQI72NSv-Lprj-bYHA96K1lVRhYxww-quJj83Zdf330fCnJuRFWI53UOTQoemlrHfyKXOKKkSuE8WlEgh93khbIaF8BbasIZZ9aw3KAIPqKUmDKVD-krxeooy1ziHt0QuPrhwkFEbg/p.png?fv_content=true&size_mode=5" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
**** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour. This fact has not changed my opinion. ****<br />
<br />
<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1548365102l/43319680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1548365102l/43319680.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> Tarnished Are the Stars</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Rosiee Thor</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: October 15, 2019 by Scholastic Press</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=40556417&ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40556417-to-best-the-boys">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: <b>The Lunar Chronicles meets Rook in this queer #OwnVoices science-fantasy novel, perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Sharon Cameron. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">A secret beats inside Anna Thatcher's chest: an illegal clockwork heart. Anna works cog by cog -- donning the moniker Technician -- to supply black market medical technology to the sick and injured, against the Commissioner's tyrannical laws. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">Nathaniel Fremont, the Commissioner's son, has never had to fear the law. Determined to earn his father's respect, Nathaniel sets out to capture the Technician. But the more he learns about the outlaw, the more he questions whether his father's elusive affection is worth chasing at all. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">Their game of cat and mouse takes an abrupt turn when Eliza, a skilled assassin and spy, arrives. Her mission is to learn the Commissioner's secrets at any cost -- even if it means betraying her own heart.
</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">When these uneasy allies discover the most dangerous secret of all, they must work together despite their differences and put an end to a deadly epidemic -- before the Commissioner ends them first. <br />
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There needs to be more standalone science fiction novels and I was really excited to read this one. It seemed like it was totally up my alley so I was glad to be a part of the blog tour for it. It was an engaging story with great characters and an interesting world.<br />
<br />
My favorite thing about this book was the characters and character development. This is one of those books which alternates perspectives. Those can be incredibly tricky because often I like one character more than others, and feel like the multiple narrators make things complex. But that was not the case with Tarnished Are The Stars. Each character added to the story and offered a unique perspective. I never felt like a section was unnecessary or that I wanted to go back to someone else. However, I did have a favorite character. While I liked Anna and Nathaniel, it was Eliza who I loved. She was a kickass female who is trying and often succeeding at being the smartest person in the room. I found myself rooting for her and loved her development throughout the book as she discovered who she wanted to be and then became that person. But that was the case for each of the characters. They were all easy to root for and had great development.<br />
<br />
One of the other things I liked about these characters was the LGBTQIA representation. Because seriously, this book is super queer. Not only is there a good f/f relationship that develops throughout the book but we also had asexual and aromantic representation. I firmly believe there needs to be more ark and ace rep in books. I’m constantly feeling like a romance is unnecessary and having a character who states on the page that they are not only not interested in a relationship but not even attracted to anyone was so amazing. Having Nathaniel come to terms with his own identity was part of what I liked about him and the book.<br />
<br />
I also liked the world of this book. It is one of those books that reminds you that dystopia is a subgenre of science fiction. It had subtle sci-if vibes with the use of technology to impact the lives of the people, but it also had dystopia feels with a new planet being colonized because of the fact that earth was negatively affected years ago. There was also that ever present shady government adding to the drama and a disease impacting the you people like our main characters. However, as interesting as the world was, I did feel like we weren’t given a lot of information about it. I felt like some of the big reveals were not as impactful as they could have been because there was so much going on and the pacing was so fast. If it had scaled back a little bit and given more information I think I would have liked the world even more.<br />
<br />
But my biggest frustration with this book was with the fact that it was so fast paced. I usually like a quick read that moves quickly from element to elements but here it was just jarring. I had no sense of how much time had passed and things just moved on with or without me. Instead of what I assumed was the desired effect of keeping me connected to the story, it actually pulled me out. I kept wondering to myself how much time had passed and whether they had actually spent time making this plan or if they were just winging it. And it even affected the character development at times because I was asking myself how they had gone from enemies to friends so quickly. This is about average length for a YA novel but I honestly wish it had been a little bit longer and was fleshed out a bit more. It was a very engaging story with tons of twists and turns but that was negatively impacted by the breakneck speed.<br />
<br />
On the whole, Tarnished Are the Stars was an interesting read and a good debut novel. It had great characters, an interesting world, a fat-paced plot. But I wish the story had been fleshed out a little more.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor 7 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://krui.fm/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Star-Rating-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://krui.fm/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Star-Rating-7.jpg" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="800" height="78" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass</span></u>: Borrow.</b> If you are looking for a standalone dystopia with queer characters and a fast-paced plot then I would suggest checking this one out.<br />
<br />
Have you read Tarnished Are the Stars? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stooping by and HAPPY READING!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;"><u>FAVORITE QUOTES</u></span></b></div>
<br />
"A good weapon, she found, needn't draw blood to be effective. A controlled target was better than a dead one."<br />
<br />
"Murder comes in many shapes... You don't always have to look someone in the eye and watch them die to be their killer."<br />
<br />
"But that was the thing about loss: Death could rip love from life, but those memories stayed behind, burning a hole through the heart."<br />
<br />
"I don't give much credence to regret. I can't go back and change what's done. All I can do is take what I learned and do better next time."<br />
<br />
"It matters because this is who you are - but it is not all you are. It does not make you weak, nor does it make you strong. You make yourself one or the other through the choices that you make."<br />
<br />
"Power is not the same as strength... Some days strength is control, and some days strength is release. Perhaps today strength is understanding that being like your father isn't inherently bad, and two men can be alike and still make different choices."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">BOOK LINKS </span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43319680-tarnished-are-the-stars">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://amzn.to/2HbLT7j">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tarnished-are-the-stars-rosiee-thor/1130053238#/">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/tarnished-are-the-stars">Kobo</a> / <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Tarnished_Are_the_Stars.html?id=TJKCDwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y">Google Books</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://uc59401a693a6c9312143173126b.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/AAmyqMFtXiA353mcD35FBQWj5v8isGHxWcnwsNVEMVxJmlJ_aXIg9Xa6FRfyxShon6skJZn-VxNFYBBvYce9CbibMUhtpu7yzphnCOmEFI_RkEEVWSBPC4ePP8qELJ1f2_9PlVklttB3eMsEdG7IUfCb85ClRyIoblBVK6RgymJyI0HmwLJqpRbQoqpmPhMWktFMTN-JdkMyMG6hZQiLUsSYygk9JE91W8Ba9bi7D9flsPZ1o4JWTjQ2XZO04bAlyptmQkGo_w7i_PmW8KANIVdZcrxR0NgoOR1FNWXX6YIxerzphCAfZQ12y8nuEn5435T0dL2cM6mlsuNwOHVRzrCnODrpcqFYp9TZRYjqi0L3RERmFuN0ba8C_FDMjE_31EIz-7SiRxVo1qwClxVCvnwISPNP6UdHtZTTBmVKiKypLw/p.jpeg?fv_content=true&size_mode=5" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="177" src="https://uc59401a693a6c9312143173126b.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/AAmyqMFtXiA353mcD35FBQWj5v8isGHxWcnwsNVEMVxJmlJ_aXIg9Xa6FRfyxShon6skJZn-VxNFYBBvYce9CbibMUhtpu7yzphnCOmEFI_RkEEVWSBPC4ePP8qELJ1f2_9PlVklttB3eMsEdG7IUfCb85ClRyIoblBVK6RgymJyI0HmwLJqpRbQoqpmPhMWktFMTN-JdkMyMG6hZQiLUsSYygk9JE91W8Ba9bi7D9flsPZ1o4JWTjQ2XZO04bAlyptmQkGo_w7i_PmW8KANIVdZcrxR0NgoOR1FNWXX6YIxerzphCAfZQ12y8nuEn5435T0dL2cM6mlsuNwOHVRzrCnODrpcqFYp9TZRYjqi0L3RERmFuN0ba8C_FDMjE_31EIz-7SiRxVo1qwClxVCvnwISPNP6UdHtZTTBmVKiKypLw/p.jpeg?fv_content=true&size_mode=5" /></a><b><u><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">AUTHOR INFORMATION </span></u></b></div>
<br />
Rosiee Thor began her career as a storyteller by demanding that her mother listen as Rosiee told bedtime stories instead of the other way around. She lives in Oregon with a dog, two cats, and four complete sets of Harry Potter, which she loves so much, she once moved her mattress into the closet and slept there until she came out as queer.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18157283.Rosiee_Thor">Goodreads </a>/ <a href="http://www.rosieethor.com/">Website</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/rosieethor">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rosieethor/">Instagram</a> /
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/rosiee.thor">Facebook</a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><u>TOUR SCHEDULE</u>:</span></b></div>
<br />
<a href="https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/08/tour-schedule-tarnished-are-stars-by.html%C2%A0">https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/08/tour-schedule-tarnished-are-stars-by.html </a><br />
<br />
GIVEAWAY
Prize: Win a signed hardcopy of TARNISHED ARE THE STARS by Rosiee Thor (US Only)
Stars: 15th October 2019
Ends: 29th October 2019<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="d9681b86421" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d9681b86421/" id="rcwidget_bj49xh0w" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
</div>
<br />
<br />My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-31299612651824462502019-06-17T08:00:00.000-04:002019-10-17T16:28:32.672-04:00Review: To Best the Boys by Mary Weber<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1529323897l/40556417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1529323897l/40556417.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> To Best the Boys</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Mary Weber</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: March 19, 2018 by Thomas Nelson</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=40556417&ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40556417-to-best-the-boys">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: The task is simple: don a disguise. Survive the Labyrinth. Best the boys.<br />
<br />
In a thrilling new fantasy from the bestselling author of the Storm Siren Trilogy, one girl makes a stand against society and enters a world made exclusively for boys.<br />
<br />
Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port have received a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. The poorer residents look to see if their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.<br />
<br />
In the province of Caldon, where women train in wifely duties and men pursue collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.<br />
<br />
With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone is ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the deadly maze.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This book was recommended to me by a friend who doesn’t read a lot of fantasy. I decided to pick it up from the library and give it a try. And despite a good beginning, this book was a bit of a disappointment for me.<br />
<br />
The best thing about this book is the world. The author did a great job of establishing the setting. It was one of those fantasies where the changes are subtle but enough to interest you. It honestly felt more like a dystopia. There is this place where the haves and have nots are in sharp contrast and there is rumblings of rebellion within the two oppressed lower class. Then on top of that you have this disease ravaging the poor people. It made for a great set up for the story and motivation for the characters. Unfortunately that’s all it was, set up. The general rule of thumb is to show instead of tell and that less is more. But in some cases, less is less and this was one of those cases. After awhile I was less intrigued and more confused. I wanted more from this world because it was actually very interesting.<br />
<br />
The character, however, were fine but nothing special. The main character of Rhen was interesting enough. I appreciated the way she was torn between the two worlds, not really fitting in either. I also felt her motivation to find the cure for the disease and go to university. But I still kind of kept her at arms length for some reason. I just don’t know if she was fully fleshed out as an individual. She felt more like a symbol, which is fine but you kind of have to address that. The other thing is, I think some of what made Rhen likable is the fact that I detested basically every other character. I didn’t want her to beat the boys because feminism, I wanted her to win because the boys were truly terrible. It wasn’t about her succeeding, it was about then failing. This might not be a problem for a lot of people but for me if just felt a little off.<br />
<br />
My biggest frustration however was with the plot. This book started out very strong with a great introduction to the world and a fascinating plot full of action and adventure. But it just didn’t stick the landing. The ending really fizzled and it never really resolved some of the more interesting aspects it introduced in the beginning. The sections individually were really interesting. The diseases and unrest had me excited for what was to come, the character dressed as a boy to play with conventions and stick it to those in power added some drama, and the maze was definitely thrilling. But as a cohesive story, they just didn’t work. If this was the first book in a series I would have said that it had first book syndrome and moved on, but this was a standalone. If just felt rushed and incomplete at the same time. I’m a plot-driven reader so that was a big disappointment for me. <br />
<br />
I had high hopes for this book, but by the end of it my hopes were kind of dashed. It’s not a bad read it just isn’t one that I felt I connected with enough. I think there are much tighter of fantasy stories. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give To Best the Boys by Mary Weber 7 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://krui.fm/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Star-Rating-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://krui.fm/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Star-Rating-7.jpg" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="800" height="78" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass</span></u>: Bypass.</b> As I mentioned, I think there are much tighter fantasies. I think the premise for this one is great but it didn't deliver for me and because of that I hesitate to recommend it.<br />
<br />
Have you read To Best the Boys? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stooping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-3376262970482055502019-06-10T08:30:00.000-04:002019-06-15T14:40:37.336-04:00Review: Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1551887263l/40597810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1551887263l/40597810.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> Daisy Jones and the Six</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Taylor Jenkins Reid</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: March 5, 2019 by Ballantine Books (Random House)</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=40597810&ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40597810-daisy-jones-the-six">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.<br />
<br />
Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.<br />
<br />
Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.<br />
<br />
Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.<br />
<br />
The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I had recently read Maybe in Another Life and really loved it so when this one came out I knew I wanted to read it as well. And while it was definitely an interesting and engaging read but didn’t blow me away.<br />
<br />
One of the more interesting things about this book is the style in which it is is written. It is told in an interview format that made it feel like a rock mockumentary. It’s kind of a year in the life kind of story as each of the characters is explaining what happened and they wrote their most famous album and toured together. I listened to the audiobook which was a great decision because it is a full cast made up of mostly film actors, so you really got the personality and different perspectives. In that sense, it was a really unique and interesting story.<br />
<br />
However, the plot itself wasn’t the most interesting. Yes, there was a lot of drama with the band and their goings on. It was the late 70’s and so you had that classic rock ‘n roll mentality of sex, drugs, and partying. You also had the band who didn’t totally see eye to eye and wanted to be stars in their own rights. It reminded me a lot of Almost Famous which used to be one of my favorite movies. But I was not impressed with the ending. There was one twist that caught me by surprise but then it just sort of fizzled out. Plus then a larger purpose for telling the story was revealed and I just didn’t connect with that. I wouldn’t say that it made the whole book seem pointless, but the book did lose some points for me after that.<br />
<br />
I will say, however, that this is probably a much more character-driven story anyway and I did like the characters. Because the audiobook had a full cast each character had their own unique feel and personality. The two main characters were probably the titular Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne. Billy and Daisy were interesting but they felt a little bit predictable. There was nothing that really blew me away about them. The characters I found the most interesting were side characters. Karen Karen was probably my favorite. She’s the keyboardist and definitely had the most engaging side plot. She was also voiced by Judy Greer which was a real plus in her column. The other character I found interesting was Eddie, the guitarist. He added a lot of drama to the book and I wish they had played up his dislike of Billy more. There could have been a lot more to the plot if these two had come to blows more often.<br />
<br />
The thing about the characters though is that, they all kind of had an unreliable narrator thing to them. Not only are they telling this story 40 years after it happened, so obviously they don’t remember it fully, but there are other reasons why they might remember things differently or not be completely honest. I really enjoy books with unreliable narrators and for me, it was something that made this book and the characters interesting and unique.<br />
<br />
All and all, this was an interesting story but not my favorite from the author. I’m interested to read more of her books because she is tremendously talented at developing characters and hooking a reader but I this one just wasn’t what I was hoping for.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reed 8 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUj4hCvYbsJ19fjv7TEZv5R7P5I2PViEhEyPNHa0OUcH001HTQ5m5SdxpRqCE_2ubvNIqVgrV1wUNW2OS-4JI0vd4IqX406NoYNOoV4ap6bmGNAY5BCjT-OlrSDjIeRdPIUxHQsksOVdY_/s1600/Star+Rating-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1278" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUj4hCvYbsJ19fjv7TEZv5R7P5I2PViEhEyPNHa0OUcH001HTQ5m5SdxpRqCE_2ubvNIqVgrV1wUNW2OS-4JI0vd4IqX406NoYNOoV4ap6bmGNAY5BCjT-OlrSDjIeRdPIUxHQsksOVdY_/s200/Star+Rating-8.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass:</span></u><b> Buy/Bypass. </b>I would recommend it to anyone who likes books about rockstars or wants a character-driven book with unreliable narrators. I picked this up from the library and I would maybe suggest that. It's a pricey book.<br />
<br />
Have you read Daisy Jones and the Six? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-47133810762405806952019-06-05T08:00:00.000-04:002019-06-05T08:00:00.456-04:00Review: Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544661994l/30075662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544661994l/30075662.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> Aurora Rising</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Series: The Aurora Cycle #1</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: May 7, 2019 by Delacorte Press (Random House)</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=30075662&ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30075662-aurora-rising">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: <b>From the internationally bestselling authors of <i>THE ILLUMINAE FILES</i> comes an epic new science fiction adventure. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch… </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">An alien warrior with anger management issues </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"> And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b>They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find. Nobody panic. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Wow! This book was fantastic. I mean, I am not surprised because both Amie and Jay are fantastic science fiction writers and I have loved all their books (both together and apart).<br />
<br />
The squad was completely amazing. My favorites were probably Scarlett and Fin. Scarlett gave me some amazing Nina Zenik vibes, Nina is space kicking ass and being fabulous. Fin was the comic relief for sure but he also is a big old softie. But honestly, every character was fantastic and likable. I didn’t even mind the multiple perspectives because I enjoyed each character so much. Although, I listened to the audiobook which definitely helped with that. Each character had a different narrator, including some of my favorites, which I enjoyed.<br />
<br />
The world was also really fantastic. It’s a complex and engaging science fiction world with a deep history that I think we are only just beginning to scratch the surface on. This is one of those books where when it was all over I’m theory crafting about what it all means and what the big reveals are going to be for the next book. Honestly, that usually only happens in a fantasy so the fact that it is happening in a science fiction says something.<br />
<br />
My favorite thing however was the plot. One of the best things is that it has classic space opera vibes but goes even deeper than that. Because you guys... this is a heist novel. That’s right... SPACE HEIST! I’m a huge fan of heist novels. The world definitely needs more of them. But they have to be done right. They need to hit the right emotional notes, the reveals need to be slow and steady, and there needs to be big surprises. This book did all of that. It was an emotional roller coaster full of surprises and I loved every minute of it.<br />
<br />
I really needed a book like this right now. I have been going through a pretty serious reading and blogging slump and this book pulled me out of it I think. It might be the catalyst to get me going again. But even if it isn’t, it was a fantastic read and an a great start to what I am sure will be an amazing new series.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 9.5 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.repocast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Star-Rating-9.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="800" height="78" src="https://www.repocast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Star-Rating-9.5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass: </span></u>Buy. </b>I definitely recommend this book. I read a fair amount of YA science fiction and these two are masters of the genre. If you like science fiction or want something with found family or unlikely teams definitely check this one out.<br />
<br />
Have you read Aurora Rising? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-2473040334140229652019-06-03T08:30:00.000-04:002019-06-03T08:30:06.128-04:00May Wrap Up and June TBR<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;">Read in May:</u><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Remember in April when I said I was in a blogging slump? Oh boy was that true. I mean I think I posed only twice last month and one of the times was a blog tour so I had that added obligation. But I think I am starting to come out of it. I actually wrote reviews on Goodreads which is a good sign and I wanted to do this wrap up post so I would say that is progress. As for reading, it was an okay month. I was travelling a lot for work and pleasure which made it a little bit challenging. I read 10 books this month which okay. Not where I want to read but again, April was awful so we will take this.<br />
<br />
For challenges, I am once again low key doing challenges. The only one I am legit doing is how many books in a year. I set a Goodreads goal of reading 150 books in a year. My original goal last year was 150 but I had to lower it so I want to make that happen this year. Adding these 10 books in May brings my total to 54 for the year which is definitely behind. I should lower it to 120 again just so I don't feel bad about missing it. For the rest of the challenges I only low key set them. I want to read 20 debuts this year and I read 3 this month and 2 last month which is 12 for the year and on track. I want to read 15 books from Netgalley/Edelweiss this year. I read 3 this month and 1 last month which is a total of 8 for 2019. I also want to read 20 backlist books. This month I read 1 backlist books and last month I read 2 which is 10 for the year. I am on track for all of these goals which is definitely good.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">The Books</span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544661994l/30075662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544661994l/30075662.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539796761l/35583527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539796761l/35583527.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1551185822l/36492488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1551185822l/36492488.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>1.) The Bridge Home</u> </b><b>by Padma Venkatraman </b>Rating: 8 out of 10<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b>2.) <u>The Hummingbird Dagger</u> by Cindy Astley </b>Rating: 7 out of 10<br />
<b>3.)<u> The First Scream</u></b><b> </b><b>by R.L. Stine </b>Rating: 7 out of 10 [<a href="http://fearstreetpodcast.blogspot.com/">Podcast Website</a>]<br />
<b>4.)<u> Aurora Rising</u></b><b> </b><b>by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff </b>Rating: 9.5 out of 10 [Review to Come]<br />
<b>5.) <u>Bright Burning Stars </u></b><b>by A.K. Small </b>Rating: 8.5 out of 10<br />
<b>6.) <u>Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy</u> by Ray Terciero and Bre Indigo</b> Rating: 9 out of 10 stars<br />
<b>7.) <u>The Near Witch </u>by V.E. Schwab </b>Rating: 9 out of 10 stars<br />
<b>8.) <u>There's Something About Sweetie</u> by Sandhya Menon </b>Rating: 9 out of 10 stars<br />
<b>9.) <u>We Hunt the Flame</u> by Hafsah Faizal</b> Rating: 9.5 out of 10 stars [Review to Come]<br />
<b>10.) <u>DEV1AT3</u></b><b> </b><b>by Jay Kristoff </b>Rating: 9 out of 10 [Review to Come]<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>To Be Read in June</b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>:</b></span></u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
And here is hoping that I can continue the strong reading month and actually get more blogging done. I am going to ALA in a few weeks and that usually reinvigorates a lot of my desire to reconnect with the bookish internet so here's hoping that happens. I am hoping to read at least a dozen books this month but I am honestly not sure which books I want to read. I have a busy month but I that might mean more time to read.</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Books for Review</u></b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1552139274l/38101643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1552139274l/38101643.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1540502330l/41438037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1540502330l/41438037.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544204706l/42505366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544204706l/42505366.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1538508130l/40590407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1538508130l/40590407.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<b><u>The Raven's Tale</u> by Cat Winters</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38101643-the-raven-s-tale?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I have an e-ARC of this one and I wanted to read it but haven't been able to yet. I love a historical mystery and this one sounds really fantastic. Not only is it about Edgar Allen Poe but it's Cat Winters which is always a good thing.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Dark Shores</u> by Danielle L. Jensen</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39073352-the-hummingbird-dagger?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
This is another one I have an e-ARC for and have not yet had the chance to read. I have heard really good things about this author and the book sounds really good.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><u>Wilder Girls</u> by Rory Power</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42505366-wilder-girls?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
This debut sounds totally amazing. I love a mystery/thriller set in a boarding school so this feels totally up my alley.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Romanov</u> by Nadine Brandes</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40590407-romanov?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
A historical fantasy reimagining of Anastasia? Yes please. My friend Michelle let me borrow her ARC and I am going to see her at ALA so I want to finish it beforehand.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">New Releases</span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515873906l/34506913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515873906l/34506913.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1529323897l/40556417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1529323897l/40556417.jpg" width="129" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1551887263l/40597810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1551887263l/40597810.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1541163363l/36484081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1541163363l/36484081.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<u style="font-weight: bold;">Comics Will Break Your Heart</u> <b>by Faith Erin Hicks</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34506913-comics-will-break-your-heart?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I recently read one of Faith Erin Hicks' graphic novels and it was really good so when I saw the audio for this from the library when I needed a new one, I picked it up.<br />
<br /><b><u>To Best the Boys</u> by Mary Weber </b>- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40556417-to-best-the-boys?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
This is another book Michelle recommended. I picked it up from the library and have yet to read it. I feel like I'm in the mood now so we'll see.<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b><b><u>Daisy Jones and the Six </u>by Taylor Jenkins Reid</b> - <a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1551887263l/40597810.jpg">Add to Goodreads</a></div>
</div>
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
I have heard great things about this book and the audio looks really good. It's a full cast and I am all for that. I put a hold on the audio from the library and my hold should be coming in.<br />
<br />
<b><u>These Witches Don't Burn</u> by Isabel Sterling</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36484081-these-witches-don-t-burn?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
Another debut that sounds really fantastic. I love modern witch books and I am totally excited to read this one. I have a hold on a book from the library so I'm hoping it comes in soon.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">Backlist Books</span></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1513872748l/36896898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1513872748l/36896898.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>Spinning Silver </u>by Naomi Novik </b>- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36896898-spinning-silver?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a></div>
</div>
I really like Uprooted and I am super interested in reading this one as well. It's another book I put a hold on from the library and the hold should come in soon. I'm not realizing all my lirary holds are going to come in at the same time.<br />
<br />
Other than that, I have no plans. I want to keep my options open and read whatever I feel like or if I get any good books at ALA I want to read. There you have it. Some of the books I hope to read in June. As always, these are subject to change. I may read all of these or I may only read a few and then read a bunch of different ones. But honestly I think this list I can stick to. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!</div>
My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-72816641126727374492019-05-16T08:00:00.000-04:002019-05-16T08:00:02.374-04:00Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small Blog Tour and Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539372180l/42288387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539372180l/42288387.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> Bright Burning Stars</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: A.K. Small</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: May 21, 2019 by Algonquin Young Readers</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=42288387&ref=x_gr_w_bb_sout&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sout-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42288387-bright-burning-stars">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: Best friends Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School since childhood, where they’ve formed an inseparable bond forged by respective family tragedies and a fierce love for dance. When the body of a student is found in the dorms just before the start of their final year, Marine and Kate begin to ask themselves what they would do to win the ultimate prize: to be the one girl selected to join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they die? Cheat? Seduce the most talented boy in the school, dubbed the Demigod, hoping his magic would make them shine, too? Neither girl is sure. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">But then Kate gets closer to the Demigod, even as Marine has begun to capture his heart. And as selection day draws near, the competition—for the prize, for the Demigod—becomes fiercer, and Marine and Kate realize they have everything to lose, including each other.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
*** I received an advance copy of this book<br />
<br />I was really excited to read this book. I'm not someone who reads a ton of contemporaries but I love boarding schools, a Parisian setting, and have enjoyed books about dancers in the past so this seemed totally in my wheelhouse. And while this isn't my typical read, I really enjoyed this one.<br />
<br />
One the things that surprised me most about this book was the plot development of this book. For someone who reads mostly genre fiction, I honestly didn't think a book about ballet would be all that exciting but this book definitely showed me how wrong I was. Bright Burning Stars takes you into the savage and cutthroat world of competitive dance. It definitely made for an exciting read, although it is probably not for everyone. The characters are competing against each other and themselves to win "The Prize," a coveted spot on stage at the Opera Garnier. It's not an easy story to read sometimes. There is a lot of serious and hard to read moments including characters dealing with eating disorders, abortions, and thoughts of suicide. They put their blood, sweat, and tears on the floor which means a lot of pressure and regret when things don't go well.<br />
<br />
This is very much a character-driven narrative. The story alternates between Marine and Kate who are both students at an elite ballet boarding school and best friends. Marine is a Parisian who is inspired by the tragedy of her twin brother who died and was also a ballerina. Throughout the book she struggles with the pressure of being the best and having the perfect ballet body. She makes some really bad decisions in the face of proving that she can be a great dancer. Kate is an American, something that makes her an outsider, who will do whatever it takes to succeed. A lot of Kate's struggle is her need for approval. She wants to be loved and makes some really bad decisions because she thinks that being the best will give her the approval she so desperately deserves. I liked each of the characters on their own, but interestingly this was one of those rare occasions where I wanted the characters to fail. I hated how much pressure it put on them and I honestly just wanted them to give up it all and be happy. But that wasn't what their character development was all about. Well not entirely.<br />
<br />
And while I loved the characters alone, the two of them together was what I wanted the most. In the beginning when they were best friends who would do anything for one another it gave the book a lot of heart. Their Moon Sisters backstory and all their Beyonce dancing was amazing. But then as the book development and they let boys and dance come between them, I started liking the characters a lot less. I am a big fan of books about female friendship and with a narrative with so many serious issues, I think this book could have really benefited from some more of those light and fun moments.<br />
<br />
I did however like the setting of this book. For one thing, I loved the boarding school setting. It was more on the subtle side but I loved seeing the characters in their classes and interacting around the school. The other really subtle thing about the setting was it's use of Paris. There were few mentions of known landmarks but honestly the school could have been anywhere. I love books set in Paris and I wished that the book did a better job of establishing Paris as the setting. The better setting was of course the world of dance. I am not at all familiar with ballet or dance at all but I felt like it really came to life in this book. Small's descriptions of the dances in particular made it all so beautiful and visual in the best possible way.<br />
<br />
This is not my typical read but I really enjoyed it. There were some elements that could have been fleshed out a little bit more but on the whole this was a brutal and engaging read about the brutal world of dance and the toll it takes on the ballerinas. It's not an easy ready but it is very entertaining.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small </u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUj4hCvYbsJ19fjv7TEZv5R7P5I2PViEhEyPNHa0OUcH001HTQ5m5SdxpRqCE_2ubvNIqVgrV1wUNW2OS-4JI0vd4IqX406NoYNOoV4ap6bmGNAY5BCjT-OlrSDjIeRdPIUxHQsksOVdY_/s1600/Star+Rating-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1278" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUj4hCvYbsJ19fjv7TEZv5R7P5I2PViEhEyPNHa0OUcH001HTQ5m5SdxpRqCE_2ubvNIqVgrV1wUNW2OS-4JI0vd4IqX406NoYNOoV4ap6bmGNAY5BCjT-OlrSDjIeRdPIUxHQsksOVdY_/s200/Star+Rating-8.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass:</span></u> Buy/Borrow.</b> I think this is going to be one of those books where people either love it or they don’t. It's a good contemporary read especially for those who like more serious books.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>AUTHOR BIO: </u></b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyCoF5ntUgEvx2EyvtgYOcf21uNOuFIM4dojCYycLoBBgKIEW3kEjoxiEVVOCaDkcjIqonQtfQ44C-NIyAKgF91TL6GjfV8FFWB4NsU9I-W-bnlBKpXvu-6Rn9ebJRS39JVCWLHM10bY/s1600/Angela+Small+credit+_Becky+Thurner+Braddock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyCoF5ntUgEvx2EyvtgYOcf21uNOuFIM4dojCYycLoBBgKIEW3kEjoxiEVVOCaDkcjIqonQtfQ44C-NIyAKgF91TL6GjfV8FFWB4NsU9I-W-bnlBKpXvu-6Rn9ebJRS39JVCWLHM10bY/s320/Angela+Small+credit+_Becky+Thurner+Braddock.jpg" width="212" /></a>A.K. SMALL was born in Paris. At five years old, she began studying classical dance with the legendary Max Bozzoni, then later with Daniel Franck and Monique Arabian at the famous Académie Chaptal. At thirteen, she moved to the United States where she danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet for one summer in Seattle and with the Richmond Ballet Student Company for several years. She’s a graduate of the College of William and Mary and has an MFA in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband, her puppy, and her three daughters, and practices yoga. Bright Burning Stars is her first novel.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">SOCIAL LINKS: </span><br />
<br />
Website: <a href="http://aksmallwords.com/">https://eaduncan.com/ </a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/aksmallwords">@aksmallwords</a><br />
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aksmallwords">@aksmallwords</a><br />
<br />
Have you read Bright Burning Stars? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-82936091003716321422019-04-29T08:30:00.000-04:002019-06-04T17:14:25.604-04:00Book Review: The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynne Herman<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1543517960l/41065997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="318" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1543517960l/41065997.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> The Devouring Gray</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Series: The Devouring Gray</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Christine Lynn Herman</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: April 2nd, 2019 by Disney-Hyperion</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=41065997&ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41065997-the-devouring-gray">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: On the edge of town a beast haunts the woods, trapped in the Gray, its bonds loosening…
</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">Uprooted from the city, Violet Saunders doesn’t have much hope of fitting in at her new school in Four Paths, a town almost buried in the woodlands of rural New York. The fact that she’s descended from one of the town’s founders doesn’t help much, either—her new neighbours treat her with distant respect, and something very like fear. When she meets Justin, May, Isaac, and Harper, all children of founder families, and sees the otherworldly destruction they can wreak, she starts to wonder if the townsfolk are right to be afraid. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">When bodies start to appear in the woods, the locals become downright hostile. Can the teenagers solve the mystery of Four Paths, and their own part in it, before another calamity strikes?</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was super excited to read this book when I first learned about it. Not only is it pitched as the kind of atmospheric fantasy I usually enjoy but it also takes place is the part of New York where I grew up. So I got a copy from the library and brought it home with me when I was visiting family. And while this was definitely interesting, it didn’t quite blow me away.<br />
<br />
One thing I will say about this book is that it had good characterizations. This is a book full of messy and imperfect characters who are trying to figure things out and making lots of mistakes along the way. They are far from perfect and that what made them interesting and realistic. The book alternates perspectives between three main characters and it is one of those books that lends itself well to that kind of format. It gave each of the characters a lot of depth because you got to know them on a more personal level. And while Violet is arguably the main character, I didn’t at all feel like Justin or Harper’s perspectives were unnecessary (and I can’t say that very often in these kinds of books). I think a lot of that can be attributed to the characterization.<br />
<br />
However, the format did make for a kind of muddled plot and pacing. The overall concept of definitely a cool one. A sinister force in the woods murdering people, and families with inherited powers are the only ones who can protect the town. It should have been a perfect book for me with the combination of mystery and fantasy, but it never quite delivered on either of those aspects. There was a mystery which I enjoyed but it didn’t feel solvable for the readers. I like being able to figure things out along with the characters not have them just tell me they found the answer. It just felt too simple for me. And that may have also lead to the pacing issues for me. The beginning of the book I loved and was incredibly engaged. I read most of the first half on a train and didn’t want to put it down. But then when I got home the plot seemed to slow down enough that it took me five days to read the rest. The second half should have been the most gripping but it didn’t quite recapture my interest until the last 50 pages. I’m just such a plot-driven reader so this was big for me. One thing I did like however is the fact that this is the first book of the series and it had a clear ending. It set up future books but it had a solid conclusion.<br />
<br />
The other thing I liked but didn’t love was the setting. Now granted, this is really a personal problem. I grew up where this book takes place so I am probably way more critical than the average person. But if you are going to try and ground a book in a specific location, you really have to get that place right. And this honestly felt like the kind of book that could have been anywhere. There was only one reference to something from Rochester and then it went and called it “Upstate New York.” Clearly I am nitpicking because I’m from there but it brought up the whole Upstate vs. Western NY debates I haven’t had since college. This is not a problem most people will have with this book, but I just wanted to rant a little bit.<br />
<br />
But as far as the other aspects of the world, it was an atmospheric and interesting setting. It’s one of those books that walks a fine line between fantasy and magical realism. The magical system is tied to the family and the location where they are from like magical realism but it is a little bit more of a general fantasy kind of structure. I really liked learning about the powers of the different families and seeing them talk about their rituals. I think we have only scratched the surface with the magic and I am excited for more. I also am excited for more about the Gray and the Beast. The book definitely didn’t overwhelm us with information about either of those things but it did capture my interest. I was honestly expecting this book to be a little bit more creepy and lean more towards horror but instead it was more magical realism. And honestly, I have no complaints about that.<br />
<br />
On the whole, this was definitely an enjoyable read. The Devouring Gray was one of my most anticipated debuts of the year and it was a good book. Some aspects didn’t blow me away but the characterizations were great and the setting was intriguing.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman 8.5 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FAfQoaHGUqJuB2xFiruPrlf3znSwKweJ0BVTXsqZFmRraCFwUEp3kA-nYNKCif72DmMbJBnI8K1bYXDiSpBqw4LEHgSXumw1sqKKEv_tfAb1tUohS3Vgrl_B6PPFmzDoX1wMBtjWX3U/s1600/Publication2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="1058" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FAfQoaHGUqJuB2xFiruPrlf3znSwKweJ0BVTXsqZFmRraCFwUEp3kA-nYNKCif72DmMbJBnI8K1bYXDiSpBqw4LEHgSXumw1sqKKEv_tfAb1tUohS3Vgrl_B6PPFmzDoX1wMBtjWX3U/s200/Publication2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass:</span></u> Buy/Borrow. </b>Not a perfect book but very entertaining. I would recommend this to fans of magical realism or atmospheric YA fantasy in the vein of Maggie Steifvater.</div>
<br />
Have you read The Devouring Gray? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thank for stopping by and HAPPY READING.My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-66463889115817100512019-04-05T10:00:00.000-04:002019-04-05T10:10:53.850-04:00Review: The Fever King by Victoria Lee<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1536786369l/39897058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1536786369l/39897058.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> The Fever King</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Series: Feverwake #1</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Victoria Lee</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: March 1, 2019 by Skyscape</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=39897058&ref=x_gr_w_glide_ku_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_ku_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39897058-the-fever-king">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.<br />
<br />
The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.<br />
<br />
Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I can't remember when I first learned about this book but it sounded interesting enough to add it to my TBR. Then when I saw that it was one of the Amazon First books for the month of March I picked it up without any hesitation and I am really glad I did. This is one of those under the radar type of books that I was incredibly surprised by. I found it gripping and thoroughly engaging.<br />
<br />
This is the perfect book for plot-driven readers like myself. It is one of those books that is full of non-stop action and thrilling twists. Seriously, every time I thought there couldn't possibly be another surprise there was. The overall plot kind of felt like three different books combined into one but it never felt jarring or strange to switch between storylines. The author did a great job in developing a flow that created a cohesive book that had me entertained from beginning to end. It was incredibly fast paced as well. There was not a dull minute at all in this book. And the best part is that the plot still built to a huge and exciting conclusion that had me on the edge of my seat.<br />
<br />
I think one of the things that made the plot so good was that world was so complex and engaging. There were a lot of great elements to this world that combined some of my favorite things to read about. First and foremost was the dystopian aspects of the story. I don't read a ton of dystopia but I do like the genre overall. This book was dystopia at its finest. It took a modern problem and the treads in our current society and kicked everything up a notch to develop a fictional world that felt current and outrageous at the same time. There were elements of an oppressive government and revolutionaries that were fighting for their rights which all combined to make thoroughly engaging political unrest. Then it through the main character between the two factions which led to a lot of uncertainty in who was right and who was wrong. I love when books make me question rulers and I loved that about this book.<br />
<br />
I also really liked the magical system in this book. I love a magical system where the characters each have different powers and they feel like superheroes, and if they get these powers through a virus that kills a bunch of people, all the better. Seriously, when did that become a trope because it definitely is and I am here for it. I loved seeing Noam use his powers and learn about them throughout the book. And each characters powers were fascinating. I like my magical systems to be based in logic and rules and this was one of those times where it was like that. Even if you had powers, in order to use them you needed to know physics and how the forces of the universe worked which was an interesting layer. My only criticism of the powers is that it almost felt like they had endless possibilities. You could unlock new powers with new knowledge and in some respects it just felt like you were giving the characters magic in order for them to get out of situations that there was no other way out of. If you are going to have a magical system like this there needs to be limits.<br />
<br />
As far as the characters go, this is a book that had some great diverse characters. First of all, the characters were of different races, genders, and ethnicities which I really enjoyed. Although if I am being entirely honest, this book needed more women. There was really only one or two and they had much smaller parts than the male characters. The main character was biracial, Jewish, and bisexual. Yes, we also had LGBTQIA representation. And Noam was a great main character. He was easy to root for and had been through a lot of hard times before and during this book. He was easy to empathize with throughout the book and that made his development all the more sweet when he came into his own by the end of the book. The rest of the characters were complex and more odious. Because there was so much uncertainty about right and wrong throughout the book it made for characters who walk in a very grey area. Dara was really interesting and I totally ship him with Noam. Lehrer however was the most complex. He's a very charismatic leader with a great set of powers but is also kind of ruthless. All the characters really worked so well in this kind of narrative.<br />
<br />
All in all, I really liked this book. It was the perfect change of pace for me with a dystopian world full of magic and mystery. The plot was gripping and engaging, and the characters were complex and engaging. It's not a book a lot of people are talking about and I wish more people would because it's really fantastic.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give The Fever King by Victoria Lee 9 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNEdiF_xiU0IHGItuNYSlAxKCrRwkb-fZzeHNOBCQEIc2PmUURRkTYOvVswze4U5AJI-kDceEHlvhTLb2eOk9BSpsUjt77kjem1xC82KJRdODlx2Nu3xsx5QL1prrPnX1s-_NT_8mDASt/s1600/Star+Rating-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1278" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNEdiF_xiU0IHGItuNYSlAxKCrRwkb-fZzeHNOBCQEIc2PmUURRkTYOvVswze4U5AJI-kDceEHlvhTLb2eOk9BSpsUjt77kjem1xC82KJRdODlx2Nu3xsx5QL1prrPnX1s-_NT_8mDASt/s200/Star+Rating-9.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass</span></u>: Buy. </b>This is definitely worth a read for anyone who likes dystopia or is loking for a thrilling read full of diverse characters. It reminded me a lot of books like The Darkest Minds and The Reckoners which are some of my all-time favorite dystopians.<br />
<br />
Have you read The Fever King? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-26223193232755447842019-04-04T09:00:00.000-04:002019-05-15T14:33:43.977-04:00Wicked Saints by Emily A Duncan Blog Tour Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_aYBpXSu3TNNCTWzAI6NLEeuqz3W-tChjglE-148kMBX4rNqErRjU3BBxfRPMDi8_4ULLfO2wgwiWSiUBPkXsMIjU4DNavxDd7I88jvi2ViWxvR6ZyPmndJtmZksPwFKHcsZdr7Omic/s1600/WickedSaints_BlogTourBanner_AFTER+4.2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_aYBpXSu3TNNCTWzAI6NLEeuqz3W-tChjglE-148kMBX4rNqErRjU3BBxfRPMDi8_4ULLfO2wgwiWSiUBPkXsMIjU4DNavxDd7I88jvi2ViWxvR6ZyPmndJtmZksPwFKHcsZdr7Omic/s640/WickedSaints_BlogTourBanner_AFTER+4.2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539378101l/36118682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539378101l/36118682.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> Wicked Saints</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Series: Something Dark and Holy</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Emily A. Duncan</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: April 1, 2019 by Wednesday Books (Macmillan)</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=36118682&ref=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36118682-wicked-saints">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: “Prepare for a snow-frosted, blood-drenched fairy tale where the monsters steal your heart and love ends up being the nightmare.” - Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen<br />
<br />
A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.<br />
<br />
A prince in danger must decide who to trust.<br />
<br />
A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings. <br />
<br />
Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.<br />
<br />
In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy.<br />
<br />
“This book destroyed me and I adored it.”- Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author of Caraval
</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was really excited to read this book. Since I learned about it way before it was even published, it seemed like a book totally up my alley. I love dark YA fantasy especially those inspired by Eastern European culture. And while there were some things I enjoyed about this book, it just didn’t quite live up to the hype.<br />
<br />
One thing I did really enjoy was the world. There were so many great layers to this world. It’s a fantasy world rooted in religion and magic with two warring nations who believe very different things. It had so many elements that I love. I always enjoy a world with this much depth to it and this one was brilliantly inventive and complex. I thought the way the magic and religion interweaved was one of best parts. I am always looking for a creative magical system and I found that here. The blood magic in particular was really fascinating. I wish we got to learn more about how that worked and the make up of the spellbooks the blood mages used but maybe that’s coming in book 2. I will say, I did find there was a bit too much info dumping at the beginning of the book but it did lead to a really fascinating the world.<br />
<br />
The part of the book that didn’t enthrall me however was the plot development. Now, don’t get me wrong, the plot was interesting. The last quarter of the book was really fascinating with high stakes and a lot of action, but that was really only the last bit. This book definitely suffered from first book syndrome for me. The first half really just felt like all that the characters were doing was getting from point A to point B and dumping information on one another along the way. It took me much longer to connect with the plot than I would have hoped. However that could just be a personal problem because I am such a plot driven reader. But I was honestly confused through a lot of it. I found myself having to reread chapters because something would happen and it was almost as if it had gone down off the page because I couldn’t remember it being told to me. I hope some of this is corrected in the final copy because I did read an ARC and that can happen.<br />
<br />
But a lot of my confusion could have come from the changing perspectives. The book alternated between Nadya and Serefin who come from the two rival kingdoms. Multiple perspectives is challenging sometimes especially of the characters are in different places and having different storylines. This was one of those books where it is frustrating because when you leave one character and return to the other you completely forgot what the other had been up to. The chapters were short and I think I may have liked it better if they were a little bit longer so I could connect with the plot points a little bit more before switching back.<br />
<br />
I did however like the characters. This is a book full of grey and odious characters. None of them are perfect and genuinely good. They all have secrets and are scheming and plotting both independently and together. Those are the kind of characters I love in my books. Some of them make for the kind of people you love to hate and others just make for really interesting choices along the way. Nadya and Serefin were good characters to be in the head of but I honestly think I like Serefin a little bit more. He I think had better character development throughout the book. It seems like Nadya is going to be the “chosen one” and she has some moments of heroism that I enjoyed but her personal growth just wasn’t as pronounced for me. Plus I found Nadya a little frustrating at times. She made some really bad choices especially when it came to the the romance.<br />
<br />
Ugh, this romance. We have to talk about the romance in this books because it was not my favorite. I’ve never been someone who likes the good girl falls for the bad boy trope and that is totally what this was. I didn’t trust Malachaisz at all and the fact that Nadya fell so hard for him so quickly and would just forgive his transgressions just didn’t work for me. I love a complex, dark, and odious character but not as a romantic lead. I know a lot of people do however so if that is your thing then you will probably love that about this book.<br />
<br />
I was really looking forward to reading this book and over the moon when the publisher sent me a copy as part of the blog tour. And while I liked some elements, it just fell a little short for me. It had a great world and interesting characters but the plot was confusing and the pacing slow plus the romance did not work for me at all.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan 8 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUj4hCvYbsJ19fjv7TEZv5R7P5I2PViEhEyPNHa0OUcH001HTQ5m5SdxpRqCE_2ubvNIqVgrV1wUNW2OS-4JI0vd4IqX406NoYNOoV4ap6bmGNAY5BCjT-OlrSDjIeRdPIUxHQsksOVdY_/s1600/Star+Rating-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1278" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUj4hCvYbsJ19fjv7TEZv5R7P5I2PViEhEyPNHa0OUcH001HTQ5m5SdxpRqCE_2ubvNIqVgrV1wUNW2OS-4JI0vd4IqX406NoYNOoV4ap6bmGNAY5BCjT-OlrSDjIeRdPIUxHQsksOVdY_/s200/Star+Rating-8.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass:</span></u> Borrow.</b> I think this is going to be one of those books where people either love it or they don’t. For me, it was kind of a miss but I know a ton of people really loved it. If you like fantasy on the darker side with a heavy romance and a good girl/bad boy trope then check this out.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>AUTHOR BIO: </u></b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinApUqUIp3lG48-b6xzvC04tHy0ULEY4j2qpiUqOivuz1hM_AM32MbZQ9GOD57RbkHnbqEP9nWtsBD5VUt-Hv0ERnLpsrBPDC0_QWbFHakw5Zt0PcdXH1zrzqAadVz5c5vkAjxMddG-qw/s1600/Emily+A.+Duncan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinApUqUIp3lG48-b6xzvC04tHy0ULEY4j2qpiUqOivuz1hM_AM32MbZQ9GOD57RbkHnbqEP9nWtsBD5VUt-Hv0ERnLpsrBPDC0_QWbFHakw5Zt0PcdXH1zrzqAadVz5c5vkAjxMddG-qw/s200/Emily+A.+Duncan.jpeg" width="150" /></a>EMILY A. DUNCAN works as a youth services librarian. She received a Master’s degree in library science from Kent State University, which mostly taught her how to find obscure Slavic folklore texts through interlibrary loan systems. When not reading or writing, she enjoys playing copious amounts of video games and dungeons and dragons. Wicked Saints is her first book. She lives in Ohio.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> BUY LINK: </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%C2%A0https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/wicked-saints/%C2%A0"> https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/wicked-saints/ </a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">SOCIAL LINKS: </span><br />
<br />
Website: <a href="https://eaduncan.com/%C2%A0">https://eaduncan.com/ </a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/glitzandshadows">@glitzandshadows </a><br />
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/glitzandshadows/">@glitzandshadows </a><br />
Tumblr: <a href="http://glitzandshadows.tumblr.com/">http://glitzandshadows.tumblr.com/</a><br />
<br />
Have you read Wicked Saints? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-82617062978130481472019-04-03T14:00:00.000-04:002019-06-02T12:05:24.288-04:00March Wrap Up and February TBR<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;">Read in March:</u><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
And the blogging slump is back in full force this month and the reading slump a little bit too. Last month I was posting more regularly abut this month it's barely once or twice a week. I am totally behind on posts and don't have much motivation to write reviews, but I'm trying to get more regular with it so we'll see. As for reading, it was an okay month. I was travelling a lot for work and pleasure which made it a little bit challenging. I read 11 books this month which pretty okay.<br />
<br />
For challenges, I am once again low key doing challenges. The only one I am legit doing is how many books in a year. I set a Goodreads goal of reading 150 books in a year. My original goal last year was 150 but I had to lower it so I want to make that happen this year. Adding these 10 books in March brings my total to 38 for the year which is on track for this goal. For the rest of the challenges I only low key set them. I want to read 20 debuts this year and I read 3 this month which is 7 for the year and on track. I want to read 15 books this year. I read 1 this month which is a total of 4 for 2019. I also want to read 20 backlist books. This month I read 2 backlist books which is 7 for the year. I am on track for all of these goals but it is kind of too early to tell.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">The Books</span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1424970519l/23492661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1424970519l/23492661.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1536257607l/39080472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1536257607l/39080472.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1536786369l/39897058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1536786369l/39897058.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>1.) The Sleepwalker</u> </b><b>by R.L. Stine </b>Rating: 5 out of 10 [<a href="http://fearstreetpodcast.blogspot.com/2019/04/twenty-fourth-episode-sleepwalker.html">Podcast Review</a>]<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b>2.) <u>An Absolutely Remarkable Thing</u> by Hank Green </b>Rating: 8 out of 10 [<a href="http://mythoughtsliterally.blogspot.com/2019/03/review-absolutely-remarkable-thing-by.html">My Review</a>]<br />
<b>3.)<u> Slayer</u></b><b> </b><b>by Kiersten White </b>Rating: 8 out of 10<br />
<b>4.)<u> Maybe in Another Life</u></b><b> </b><b>by Taylor Jenkins Reid </b>Rating: 9.5 out of 10<br />
<b>5.) <u>Two Can Keep a Secret </u></b><b>by Karen M. McManus </b>Rating: 8.5 out of 10<br />
<b>6.) <u>Runaway</u> by R.L. Stine</b> Rating: 8 out of 10 stars [<a href="http://fearstreetpodcast.blogspot.com/">Podcast Website</a>]<br />
<b>7.) <u>The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up </u>by Marie Kondo</b><br />
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars<br />
<b>8.) <u>The Everlasting Rose</u> by Dhonielle Clayton </b>Rating: 9 out of 10 stars<br />
<b>9.) <u>Four Dead Queens</u> by Astrid Sholte</b> Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars [<a href="http://mythoughtsliterally.blogspot.com/2019/04/review-four-dead-queens-by-astrid.html">My Review</a>]<br />
<b>10.) <u>The Fever King</u></b><b> </b><b>by Victoria Lee </b>Rating: 9 out of 10 [Review to Come]<br />
<b>11.) <u>Wicked Saints</u></b><u><b> </b></u><b>by Emily A. Duncan </b>Rating: 8.5 out of 10 [Review to Come]<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>To Be Read in March</b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>:</b></span></u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
And here is hoping that I can continue the strong reading month. It is the time of year where exciting new books continue to come out, including a few I have been waiting on for years. I am hoping to read at least a dozen books this month but I am honestly not sure which books I want to read. I have a busy month with travel for work and to visit family and friends so we shall see.</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Books for Review</u></b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537390026l/39884755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537390026l/39884755.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1552139274l/38101643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1552139274l/38101643.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527633859l/39073352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527633859l/39073352.jpg" width="135" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544661994l/30075662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544661994l/30075662.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<b><u>White Rose</u> by Kip Wilson</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39884755-white-rose?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I don't read a ton of historical fiction set during WWII but I have lately been really loving it. And this one just sounds fantastic. It's about a real life resistance fighter.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Raven's Tale</u> by Cat Winters</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38101643-the-raven-s-tale?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I love a historical mystery and this one sounds really fantastic. Not only is it about Edgar Allen Poe but it's Cat Winters which is always a good thing.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Hummingbird Dagger</u> by Cindy Antsey</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39073352-the-hummingbird-dagger?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I have not read any of Cindy Anstey's books but I have heard good things and this one sounds completely up my alley. It's a historical murder mystery and I am all about it.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>Aurora Rising</u> by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39073352-the-hummingbird-dagger?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I love both Amie and Jay's books both together and apart. I learned about this one at their signing in Boston last year and I am pumped that it's coming out soon and to have an e-ARC.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">New Releases</span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1531148558l/36233085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1531148558l/36233085.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1543850974l/36535913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1543850974l/36535913.jpg" width="135" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527628141l/29774026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527628141l/29774026.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<b><u><br /></u></b><b><u>Once and Future</u> by Amy Rose Capetta and Cory McCarthy </b>- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36233085-once-future?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
Science Fiction genderbent King Arthur. That's really all you need to know. I picked this up at the library recently and I'm excited to read this one.<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b><b><u>The Devouring Grey </u>by Christine Lynn Herman</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36535913-the-devouring-gray?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a></div>
</div>
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
This book is set in the part of New York where I grew up and is about a creepy small town ala Stranger Things. I won a copy recently and I'm hoping it arrives in time for me to travel back home in a few weeks.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Priory of the Orange Tree</u> by Samantha Shannon</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29774026-the-priory-of-the-orange-tree?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I love Samantha Shannon's writing and I am super excited to read her take on dragons. But this book is a total beast. I am thinking about listening to the audiobook but it's 25 hours long. I'm not sure if I have to time to finish it.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">Backlist Books</span></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493724347l/31434883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493724347l/31434883.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1540664817l/42370636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1540664817l/42370636.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine </u>by Gail Honeyman</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31434883-eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a></div>
</div>
I was recommended this by my best friend and put a hold on the e-book at the library. I didn't get to finish it because of review copies I needed to read so I got the physical book from the library.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Near Witch</u> by Victoria Schwab</b> -<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6931344-the-near-witch?ac=1&from_search=true"> Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I love Victoria and I am so excited her debut is being reprinted. I have a hold on the e-book from the library and I hope it comes in so I can read it.<br />
<br />
Other than that, I have no plans. A few other books I reserved from the library that might come in but I am not sure which and I don't know if I will be able to read them and when.<br />
<br />
There you have it. Some of the books I hope to read in April. As always, these are subject to change. I may read all of these or I may only read a few and then read a bunch of different ones. But honestly I think this list I can stick to. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!</div>
My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-32643080990684213202019-04-01T10:00:00.000-04:002019-04-01T10:02:43.820-04:00Review: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1550191188l/40367270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1550191188l/40367270.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> Four Dead Queens</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Astrid Scholte</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: February 26, 2019 by G.P. Putnam's and Sons Books for Young Readers (Penguin)</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=40367270&ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40367270-four-dead-queens">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but she's, in fact, one of Quadara's most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara's most enlightened region, Eonia. He runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie both find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara's queens dead.<br />
<br />
With no other choices and on the run from Keralie's former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation's four dead queens.<br />
<br />
An enthralling fast-paced murder mystery where competing agendas collide with deadly consequences, Four Dead Queens heralds the arrival of an exciting new YA talent.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was really excited to read Four Dead Queens. It sounded like an interesting Ya fantasy with a ton of political intrigue and those are things that I thoroughly enjoy. And while there was a lot to like about this book, it didn’t quite blow me away.<br />
<br />
One thing that I enjoyed about this book was the murder mystery aspect. I love a good mystery and I really like being able to solve something along with the characters in the book. This is one of those narratives that let me do that. I also really like being able to solve the mystery and with this book I was able to figure a lot of the twists out. It’s not that they were predictable (honestly there was definitely a more predictable direction this book could have gone in) I just don’t think it was particularly complex. I think because it didn’t have the same emotional impact because the one aspect connected to the main character I had figured out and when the big bad was revealed it didn’t have I enjoyed the mystery, I do however wish the mystery would have been a little more complex.<br />
<br />
I also wish we had gotten a little more from the world building. There is a fine line to walk when it comes to developing a world. I prefer books that show instead of tell the readers about what is going on with the fictional world. And while this book leaned a little bit closer to telling us about the world. That is with the information it did reveal of course because it kept a lot to itself. There were some great aspects of their political system I found really interesting but the book kind of just told them to me instead of showing them. There was a lot of opportunity for political intrigue here but it never quite delivered on that as well. <br />
<br />
But I think a lot of this just stemmed from the fact that it just didn’t have a compelling enough antagonist. As I mentioned before, the big bad reveal didn’t have an emotional impact and I think that was because we knew almost nothing about that person until they were revealed to be the mastermind. And because we didn’t meet them and learn about their motivations until much later in the book the person just came off as selfish and not all that intimidating. Their the kind of antagonist that could have been amazing if they were revealed to be a character we had known all along pulling the strings in the background. There were a lot of perspectives here and not having the antagonist before they were revealed was a bit of a misstep for me.<br />
<br />
But I did however like the other character perspectives. Keralie was a great main character. I’m a sucker for a thief with a heart of gold and that’s what Keralie was. She’s badass and resourceful but with a bit of a grey moral compass and those are the characters I love being in the head of. I also really enjoyed being in the heads of the queens. It helped their deaths make more of an impact because we could get to know them and learn about their secrets which also added a lot to the mystery. I do think the voice for each queen was very similar and it was hard keeping them straight in my head but I liked being in their head. <br />
<br />
As far as the plot and pacing goes, I think the book did a good job of capturing my interest throughout the entire story. There was some interesting choices in terms of the timeline but I never really found that confusing. It built to an exciting conclusion with enough twists along the way to keep me reading. Plus I really like the way that it had a definitive ending and didn’t leave us hanging. I was honestly expecting a cliffhanger because I think this is the first book in a series but it read like a standalone. We need more standalone fantasies and even if this is a series, I’m glad it did have a clear ending.<br />
<br />
All in all there was a lot of good aspects of this book which I really enjoyed but it wasn’t a perfect read. The murder mystery and political intrigue were great but I wanted more, and the protagonists were great but the antagonists left a little to be desired.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte 7.5 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaC2pyM6pHJxKToBD19eUB7JW6eEpsjHgQmTwlXMtEgUeV1AGlwK8A6JP9me1gtP-5xseBC_GsWuFvgQtr9oXnFqMMXmRb46HTF8I5AjAq_mNpjR-4bPI7dBimgIYRZjqEALDCLdBwAvo/s1600/7.5+stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="773" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaC2pyM6pHJxKToBD19eUB7JW6eEpsjHgQmTwlXMtEgUeV1AGlwK8A6JP9me1gtP-5xseBC_GsWuFvgQtr9oXnFqMMXmRb46HTF8I5AjAq_mNpjR-4bPI7dBimgIYRZjqEALDCLdBwAvo/s200/7.5+stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass:</span></u> Borrow. </b>I think this is the kind of book I would recommend to someone who is looking to dip their toe in the water of YA fantasy. It reads like a standalone and has a good amount of mystery and politics for someone who doesn’t read a ton of the genre. But for those like me who love a complex fantasy, you may find this one slightly lacking.<br />
<br />
Have you read Four Dead Queens? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-61150489495742302652019-03-13T12:30:00.000-04:002019-03-13T12:46:59.541-04:00Waiting on Wednesday: Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff<b></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFvXsKcDBzxm8xdd73vTMB7wg2z5t7oA_QJSugA4xCPmOf6_8SWc2pX2nWfZFZmx43qS7gSN5y8YFLFkF9kfJIstgkle-T4nwA4DJ0LwHN0c4Yzmp-cRd2xmxMMPxGejEwO_EH6-hF70/s1600/New+WoW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFvXsKcDBzxm8xdd73vTMB7wg2z5t7oA_QJSugA4xCPmOf6_8SWc2pX2nWfZFZmx43qS7gSN5y8YFLFkF9kfJIstgkle-T4nwA4DJ0LwHN0c4Yzmp-cRd2xmxMMPxGejEwO_EH6-hF70/s1600/New+WoW.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table background="http://i.imgur.com/9OPnZNk.png" border="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515416281l/35396970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544661994l/30075662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544661994l/30075662.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
Title: <u>Aurora Rising</u><br />
Series: The Aurora Cycle #1<br />
Written by: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff<br />
<div>
Published: May 7, 2019 by Knopf Books for Young Readers (Random House)</div>
<div>
(<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=36535913&ref=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36535913-the-devouring-gray?ac=1&from_search=true"><span style="color: blue;">Goodreads</span></a>)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Synopsis: <b>From the internationally bestselling authors of THE ILLUMINAE FILES comes an epic new science fiction adventure.</b><br />
<br />
The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…<br />
<br />
A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm<br />
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates<br />
A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder<br />
An alien warrior with anger management issues<br />
A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering<br />
<br />
And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.<br />
<br />
<b><i>They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find. Nobody panic. </i></b></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody><tbody></tbody></table>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b><u><br />Why I'm Waiting: </u></b></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
I think I may have first learned about this book when I saw Amie and Jay on tour last year for Obsidio. But if I didn't, I remember them talking about it and being super excited. I love both of these authors and they are completely brilliant together and so I am really excited to read more of them.<br />
<br />
Not to mention, I have been really enjoying science fiction lately. Space operas have been some of my favorite books of the year so far and this one is giving me serious Firefly vibes. Not to mention, the characters just sounds really amazing. This is one of those books with an unlikely crew getting up to some shenanigans and I am all for that.<br />
<br />
I am very excited to read this book. It is one of my most anticipated books of 2019. I recently saw it on Netgalley and I clicked request so fast! But if I don't get approved, I will definitely be getting myself a copy. It comes out right before my birthday so it will probably be my gift to myself.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/vO8F4fYQd39h6/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="480" height="227" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/vO8F4fYQd39h6/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on Aurora Rising along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!</div>
</div>
My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-19677227747103245542019-03-12T10:30:00.000-04:002019-03-12T10:30:11.011-04:00Top Ten Tuesday: Standalones I Wish Had a Sequel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/TTT-NEW.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/TTT-NEW.png" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="500" height="161" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://thatartsyreadergirl.com/">That Artsy Reader Girl</a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496783711l/31944679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496783711l/31944679.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1534431396l/34810320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1534431396l/34810320.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1524322945l/34499221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1524322945l/34499221.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487725951l/33152795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487725951l/33152795.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>1.) <u>In Other Lands</u> by Sarah Rees Brennan</b><br />
I seriously cannot shut up about this book lately because it was sooo good. I listened to the audio and it is one of my all-time favorites now. And I know it was a serialized book to begin with but I just want more.<br />
<br />
<b>2.) <u>Sadie</u> by Courtney Summers</b><br />
Typically with mysteries and thrillers, I like an uncertain ending and feel like a book would be ruined by learning too much but with this book I just want more. I have too many questions that didn't get answered.<br />
<br />
<b>3.) <u>To Kill a Kingdom </u>by Alexandra Christo</b><br />
I'm going to be honest, I thought the author's new book was a sequel to this one so when I heard it was the start of a new duology I was a little bummed. I really liked this one and I kind of want more from this world and characters.<br />
<br />
<b>4.) <u>Invictus </u>by Ryan Graudin</b><br />
This was such a fun book. It had a distinct ending which I definitely enjoyed but the characters were great and I could use some more of their time traveling/heist shenanigans.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459793538l/28763485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459793538l/28763485.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1341952742l/15745753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1341952742l/15745753.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403897439l/21469068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403897439l/21469068.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>5.) <u>The Sun is Also a Star</u> by Nicola Yoon</b><br />
The epilogue of this book was so mean! It just left me wanting a sequel. A book of the Natasha and Daniel all grown up. I want to see how their lives turned out.<br />
<br />
<b>6.) <u>Eleanor & Park</u> by Rainbow Rowell</b><br />
WHAT DID THE LETTER SAY! It has been years since I read this book and I still periodically think of Eleanor and Park and wonder if they are okay and happily together FINALLY!<br />
<br />
<b>7.) <u>I'll Meet You There </u>by Heather Demitrios</b><br />
This one of those standalones that is essentially about first love and people coming together whichI actually enjoyed. And because I enjoyed it, I want more of them together.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1461209661l/10626594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1461209661l/10626594.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1395618683l/18693753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1395618683l/18693753.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1292106400l/77273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1292106400l/77273.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>8.) <u>The Scorpio Races</u> by Maggie Steifvater</b><br />
I mean, this is a perfect standalone and I love everything about this love story about a boy and his horse. That's what it's about, don't @ me! But I want another audiobook of Steve West and Fiona Hardingham reading Maggie's words.<br />
<br />
<b>9.) <u>Dear Daughter</u> by Elizabeth Little</b><br />
This is an adult mystery/thriller that had the this crazy twist ending that just left me totally surprised and wanting a sequel. It totally shifted everything I thought about the first book and so I was left wanting the next book to get some closure.<br />
<br />
<b>10.) <u>The Historian</u> by Elizabeth Kostova</b><br />
The Historian is one of my all-time favorite books which is probably why I want a sequel. I tried reading Kostova's most recent read but I couldn't get into it. I think because I wanted it to be a sequel of The Historian and it wasn't<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Honorable Mention aka books getting sequels but like WHEN!</span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500930947l/9969571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500930947l/9969571.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1349205573l/15819028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1349205573l/15819028.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u>Ready Player One</u> by Ernest Cline</b><br />
I loved Ready Player One and I so excited to hear that Cline was writing a sequel. I don't know where the series can go but I am excited to find out.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><u>The Golem and the Jinni</u> by Helene Wecker</b><br />
I instantly added this book to my TBR when I learned about it two years ago but it still hasn't come out. I feel like the publishing date has been pushed back twice already and I WANT IT NOW!<br />
<br />
There you have it, all the standalones I wish had sequels. What books made your list? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-25355310856161927102019-03-11T08:30:00.000-04:002019-03-11T08:30:16.988-04:00Review: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520026196l/24233708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520026196l/24233708.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> An Absolutely Remarkable Thing </u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Series: <i>An Absolutely Remarkable Thing #1</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Hank Green</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: September 25, 2018 by Dutton (Penguin Group)</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0796DR2XV/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0796DR2XV&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24233708-an-absolutely-remarkable-thing">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: <b>In his much-anticipated debut novel, Hank Green—co-creator of Crash Course, Vlogbrothers, and SciShow—spins a sweeping, cinematic tale about a young woman who becomes an overnight celebrity before realizing she's part of something bigger, and stranger, than anyone could have possibly imagined. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">The Carls just appeared. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">Roaming through New York City at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship—like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor—April and her friend, Andy, make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day, April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world—from Beijing to Buenos Aires—and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">S</span><span style="color: #444444;">eizing the opportunity to make her mark on the world, April now has to deal with the consequences her new particular brand of fame has on her relationships, her safety, and her own identity. And all eyes are on April to figure out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with big themes, including how the social internet is changing fame, rhetoric, and radicalization; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration spring for the same dehumanization that follows a life in the public eye. The beginning of an exciting fiction career, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a bold and insightful novel of now.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Not really what I was expecting but an enjoyable read. I enjoy Hank Green’s YouTube videos and I find him a thoughtful and intelligent person so I was interested to read a book he wrote. It turned out to be a compelling story.<br />
<br />
I listened to the audiobook and it was the perfect format. This is one of those books with such a distinct voice that you can fall into the character’s world and personality while you are listening to the audio. The narrator did a great job with developing April May and bringing here to life.<br />
<br />
This book also had some really interesting themes that are incredibly topical, but it told them through an interesting lens. Part of this book is about internet fame and how a person can get so wrapped up in their persona and portraying something to and for their audience. I really enjoyed this theme and I wish the book had went into a little more depth on the concept, allowing for more character growth throughout the story. It was one of the more interesting and complex parts of the book for me, but it was almost just taken at face value and I wish it went deeper.<br />
<br />
But instead of delving deeper into this theme, instead it explored the fear and fervor that people can whip others into on the internet. It became as much about 24 hour news cycle, political pundits and how they can create this divide amongst people who see the people who disagree with them as the enemy. But again, Hank did this in a subtle way through the lens of these robots. The “Carls” could be an allegory for any number of current political events because of the way they made people respond was so honest and realistic that the social commentary was evident and interesting.<br />
<br />
Speaking of the Carls, that was the aspect of the story I wasn’t really expecting. This book was much of a science fiction story than I was expecting. It had definite Ready Player One vibes not only because of it’s discussion of the online world. No, there was also the mystery and race to reveal the secrets of the dream that felt very reminiscent of that book. And while I really enjoyed this aspect of the story as well, I found it kind of lacking. I think however that was because I thought this was a stand-alone. I wanted answers to my questions and this book didn’t give those to me. But there is a sequel coming so hopefully I will get some answers then. <br />
<br />
All in all this was an engaging and compulsively readable book. I flew through it and really enjoyed not only the science fiction plot but the complex themes about the internet and society. It wasn’t perfect but it was an engaging debut.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green 8 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUj4hCvYbsJ19fjv7TEZv5R7P5I2PViEhEyPNHa0OUcH001HTQ5m5SdxpRqCE_2ubvNIqVgrV1wUNW2OS-4JI0vd4IqX406NoYNOoV4ap6bmGNAY5BCjT-OlrSDjIeRdPIUxHQsksOVdY_/s1600/Star+Rating-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1278" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUj4hCvYbsJ19fjv7TEZv5R7P5I2PViEhEyPNHa0OUcH001HTQ5m5SdxpRqCE_2ubvNIqVgrV1wUNW2OS-4JI0vd4IqX406NoYNOoV4ap6bmGNAY5BCjT-OlrSDjIeRdPIUxHQsksOVdY_/s200/Star+Rating-8.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass</span></u>: Buy/Borrow.</b> I really enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend you pick this up from the library if you enjoy Hank Green or are looking for a fast and unique read.<br />
<br />
Have you read An Absolutely Remarkable Thing? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-21158402106418924832019-03-04T08:30:00.000-05:002019-03-04T08:30:03.298-05:00Book Review: Immoral Code by Lillian Clark<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1530032458l/40062683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="257" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1530032458l/40062683.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> Immoral Code</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Lillian Clarke</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: February 19, 2019 by Delacorte (Random House)</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=40062683&ref=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40062683-immoral-code">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: For Nari, aka Narioka Diane, aka hacker digital alter ego “d0l0s," it’s college and then a career at “one of the big ones," like Google or Apple. Keagan, her sweet, sensitive boyfriend, is happy to follow her wherever she may lead. Reese is an ace/aro visual artist with plans to travel the world. Santiago is off to Stanford on a diving scholarship, with very real Olympic hopes. And Bellamy? Physics genius Bellamy is admitted to MIT—but the student loan she’d been counting on is denied when it turns out her estranged father—one Robert Foster—is loaded.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">Nari isn’t about to let her friend’s dreams be squashed by a deadbeat billionaire, so she hatches a plan to steal just enough from Foster to allow Bellamy to achieve her goals.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I wanted to love this book, I really did. But unfortunately, for me it didn’t quite deliver. It’s not a bad book, it just didn’t impress me in the way I was hoping.<br />
<br />
For one thing, I went into this book exciting for a YA heist novel which is something you don’t see very often and I am very interested in reading. And while this book has a heist in it, the actual heist itself was only about 20% of the book and didn’t happen until about 60% of the way into the book. I wanted more from the heist, more about the heist. As the kind of reader who prefers a plot-driven story, I was left kind of disappointed by the fact that this was more of a character-driven story.<br />
<br />
I should have realized this was going to be more character-driven when I realized this book have five different perspectives. It’s about a group of five best friends and each of them takes a portion of the story. We get to be in their head, learn about who they are and what makes them tick. They are a diverse group of people who you wouldn’t really expect to be friends but they very obviously care for one another. One of the thing I liked about them is that they felt like teenagers. Their voice felt very young but it realistic. The author succeeded in making them high school students in an effortless way. But I think their “voice” from a narrative standpoint kind of blended together for me. I found myself completely forgetting who the chapter was about and wanted to go back to the start to remind myself of that. It just kind of muddied the narrative for me.<br />
<br />
And while this was a short book, I don’t know that I would call it a fast read. I mean, I did read it in just a few days but it also took awhile before I really connected with the story. I read the first half in four days and the second half in a day. The pacing definitely built up to an exciting ending but it had such a slow start. If this was a 400 page novel I think I probably would have DNF’d it because I couldn’t see investing the time. It had a satisfying ending but it took me longer than I would have like to get to what had interested me in the book in the first place.<br />
<br />
What I want to convey to potential readers is not that this is not a bad book. It’s just a more quiet and character-driven read. It’s about friendship and family, both found and forced. It’s about making certain decisions and then having to live with the consequences. It’s about morally questionable actions for justice and how maybe getting what you wanted isn’t what you needed. It is not, however, a heist novel.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give Immoral Code by Lillian Clarke 7 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://krui.fm/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Star-Rating-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://krui.fm/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Star-Rating-7.jpg" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="800" height="78" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass</span></u>: Bypass.</b> Like I said, this is not a bad book it just isn't the book for me. But that being said I don't know that I would recommend it. I think there are other books that I would suggest more than this one.<br />
<br />
Have you read Immoral Code? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-22646744392583812772019-03-01T16:30:00.000-05:002019-04-03T13:02:56.626-04:00February Wrap Up and March TBR<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;">Read in February:</u><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Historical Fiction</b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
My blogging slump is still basically hanging around but I have gotten much better this month. I am posting more regularly and even sometimes posting in advance, which is really good. I am still a little behind on posts and don't have much motivation to write reviews, but we are getting there. As for reading, it wasn't a great month but seeing as it is the shortest of the year, I think I did okay. I read a total of 11 books this month. Okay, well I really only read 10 but I'm saying I finished Courting Darkness even though I didn't because I will over the weekend.<br />
<br />
For challenges, I am once again low key doing challenges. The only one I am legit doing is how many books in a year. I set a Goodreads goal of reading 150 books in a year. My original goal last year was 150 but I had to lower it so I want to make that happen this year. Adding these 11 to last month brings my total to 27 for the year which is on track for this goal. For the rest of the challenges I only low key set them. I want to read 20 debuts this year and I read 2 again this month which is 4 for the year and on track. I haven't really been reading e-books lately but I did get approved for a good amount on Netgalley so I need to hold myself accountable. I want to read 15 books this year. I read 1 this month which is a total of 3 for 2019. I also want to read 20 backlist books. This month I read 2 backlist books which is 5 for the year. I am on track for all of these goals but it is kind of too early to tell<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">The Books</span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1525110825l/36307634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1525110825l/36307634.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1518828894l/35068618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1518828894l/35068618.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537551594l/39863277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537551594l/39863277.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>1.) Blood Water Paint</u> </b><b>by Joy McCullogh </b>Rating: 9 out of 10 [<a href="http://mythoughtsliterally.blogspot.com/2019/02/book-review-blood-water-paint-by-joy.html">My Review</a>]<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b>2.) <u>King of Scars</u> by Leigh Bardugo </b>Rating: 9.5 out of 10 [<a href="http://mythoughtsliterally.blogspot.com/2019/02/review-king-of-scars-by-leigh-bardugo.html">My Review</a>]<br />
<b>3.)<u> Saga </u></b><b><u>Vol. 8</u> </b><b>by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples </b>Rating: 8 out of 10<br />
<b>4.)<u> Saga </u></b><b><u>Vol. 9</u> </b><b>by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples </b>Rating: 9.5 out of 10<br />
<b>5.) <u>On the Come Up </u></b><b>by Angie Thomas </b>Rating: 9.5 out of 10 [<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://mythoughtsliterally.blogspot.com/2019/02/review-on-come-up-by-angie-thomas.html">My Review</a></span>]<br />
<b>6.) <u>Spectacle</u> by Jodi Lynn Zdork</b> Rating: 8 out of 10 stars [<a href="http://mythoughtsliterally.blogspot.com/2019/02/review-spectacle-by-jodie-lynn-zdrok_21.html">My Review</a>]<br />
<b>7.) <u>Bloodwitch </u>by Susan Dennard</b> Rating: 9.5 out of 10 stars [<a href="http://mythoughtsliterally.blogspot.com/2019/02/review-bloodwitch-by-susan-dennard.html">My Review</a>]<br />
<b>8.) <u>The Passion of Dolssa</u> by Julie Berry </b>Rating: 8 out of 10 stars [<a href="http://mythoughtsliterally.blogspot.com/2019/02/review-passion-of-dolssa-by-julie-berry.html">My Review</a>]<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491842507l/34076952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<b>9.) <u>The Wicked and the Divine Vol. 1: The Faust Act</u> by Kieron Gillen </b><br />
<b>and Jamie McKelvie </b>Rating: 9 out of 10<br />
<b>10.) <u>Immortal Code</u></b><b> </b><b>by Lillian Clark </b>Rating: 7 out of 10 [Review to Come]<br />
<b>11.) <u>Courting Darkness</u></b><u><b> </b></u><b>by Robin LeFevers </b>Rating: 9 out of 10 [Review to Come]<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>To Be Read in March</b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>:</b></span></u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
And here is hoping that I can continue the strong reading month. It is the time of year where exciting new books continue to come out, including a few I have been waiting on for years. I am hoping to read at least a dozen books this month but I am honestly not sure which books I want to read. I have a busy month with travel for work and to visit family and friends so we shall see.</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Books for Review</u></b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1542046529l/36613718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1542046529l/36613718.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1531938376l/36165054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1531938376l/36165054.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539378101l/36118682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539378101l/36118682.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1536786369l/39897058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1536786369l/39897058.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<b><u>Enchantee</u> by Gita Trelease</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36613718-enchant-e?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I wanted to read this last month but I didn't get the chance with the other books I was hoping to read. But honestly this month I don't have many plans of what to read so hopefully I will have time for this one finally.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Waking Forest</u> by Alyssa Wees</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36165054-the-waking-forest?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I received an advance copy of this from the publisher a while ago and it is finally time to read it. I love low fantasy dealing with forests. They always feel like modern fairy tales and this one sounds great.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Wicked Saints</u> by Emily A. Duncan</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36118682-wicked-saints?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I am super excited to read this book. I am on the blog tour for early April and I am planning to read this next month in order to prepare for the tour.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>The Fever King</u> by Victoria Lee</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39897058-the-fever-king">Add to Goodreads</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is technically a March release but it is one of the Kindle First Reads this month and there is almost never one of those I want to read so when I saw this I snatched it up.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">New Releases</span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1528468297l/34723130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1528468297l/34723130.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1536257607l/39080472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1536257607l/39080472.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527875244l/34213319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527875244l/34213319.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527628141l/29774026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527628141l/29774026.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Slayer</u> by Kiersten White </b>- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34723130-slayer?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I have been wanting to read this one and a few friends and I decided to buddy read it. One of them is a huge Buffy fan and so I am excited to discuss with her.<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b><b><u>The Everlasting Rose </u>by Dhonielle Clayton</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39080472-the-everlasting-rose?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a></div>
</div>
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I loved The Belles. I was late to the party on that book but for this one I have a copy already ordered and I am so pumped to start it.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Four Dead Queens</u> by Astrid Schotle</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35068618-on-the-come-up?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I have a copy of this reserved from the library. If things go well then I should be able to read it this month. Maybe bring it with me to read on my trip.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Priory of the Orange Tree</u> by Samantha Shannon</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29774026-the-priory-of-the-orange-tree?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I love Samantha Shannon's writing and I am super excited to read her take on dragons. But this book is a total beast. I am thinking about listening to the audiobook but it's 25 hours long. I'm not sure if I have to time to finish it.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">Backlist Books</span></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520026196l/24233708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520026196l/24233708.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>An Absolutely Remarkable Thing </u>by Hank Green</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24233708-an-absolutely-remarkable-thing?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a></div>
</div>
I have the unpopular opinion that John Green is overrated but I think is because I have always liked his brother Hank more. I'm excited to read his novel. It sounds really good.<br />
<br />
Other than that, I have no plans. A few other books I reserved from the library that might come in but I am not sure which and I don't know if I will be able to read them and when.<br />
<br />
There you have it. Some of the books I hope to read in March. As always, these are subject to change. I may read all of these or I may only read a few and then read a bunch of different ones. But honestly I think this list I can stick to. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!</div>
My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-43128902416580986242019-02-28T10:30:00.000-05:002019-02-28T10:30:09.448-05:00Review: The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1445094966l/25902198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1445094966l/25902198.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> The Passion of Dolssa</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Julie Berry</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: April 12, 2016 by Viking Books for Young Readers (Penguin Group)</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=25902198&ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25902198-the-passion-of-dolssa">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: Dolssa is a young gentlewoman with uncanny gifts, on the run from an obsessed friar determined to burn her as a heretic for the passion she refuses to tame. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">Botille is a wily and charismatic peasant, a matchmaker running a tavern with her two sisters in a tiny seaside town. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">The year is 1241; the place, Provensa, what we now call Provence, France—a land still reeling from the bloody crusades waged there by the Catholic Church and its northern French armies. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">When the matchmaker finds the mystic near death by a riverside, Botille takes Dolssa in and discovers the girl’s extraordinary healing power. But as the vengeful Friar Lucien hunts down his heretic, the two girls find themselves putting an entire village at the mercy of murderers.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Passion of Dolssa has been on my list since before it came out. I read a lot of historical fiction and I am looking for books that have unique settings and stories and this absolutely fit the build. I tried to read it a few times but after those false starts I was nervous about reading it this month. But my themes is historical France so I took the time and I am glad that I did. It is not my typical read but very interesting.<br />
<br />
This book is beautifully written. I listened to the audiobook and I am surprised by how much it pulled me in. The writing had the kind of prose that translates so well to the audio format. I do think it did have a bit of a slow start. As I said before, I tried reading it a few times and it took me until now until I finally finished it. I think it is just one of those slower books that you have to take your time with. It did built to an exciting conclusion that had me so concerned about what was going to happen, it just took it's time to hook me. Although when it did, it didn't let me go.<br />
<br />
One of the things that surprised me most about this book is how it combined history and religion. I usually don't read a lot of books with religious content, although it is something I enjoy in high fantasy. But I feel like this book did a really good job of handling the religion. This was a period of time with a lot of religious unrest, especially with the Catholic Church, between the Crusades and the Inquisition. This book did not shy away from these more unsavory activities of the church, but it also didn't portray the church as all bad. There was a lot of grey areas when it came to not only organized religion itself but the people who practiced it. I appreciated that from both a narrative perspective and real life perspective. It made you think and that is all you can really ask for with any book, especially a historical fiction novel.<br />
<br />
However, I would have appreciated this book to have established the physical setting. This is really important to me in historical fiction. This is one of those books where it felt like it could have happened anywhere. It could have been any place in Medieval Europe. This might not be that be an issue for many readers but for me I was missing something. I have been to Provence, it's a beautiful place and has a rich history especially in reference to religion and the Catholic Church. But for me the setting didn't really come alive and I had hoped it would.<br />
<br />
One thing I did love however is the characters. The author did a really good job in making the reader connect with the characters, especially the women. While Dolssa is the titular character, it is Botille who is really the one who moves the plot along. In the beginning I thought I would be more interested in Dolssa's perspectives but very quickly I found that I enjoyed Botille. She is kind and caring, but also smart and resourceful. She's one of those women who is slightly ahead of her time and therefore is in a kind of precarious position. All of this made me like her and root for her. Dolssa is the character who is easy to root for, however. She is the one who is taken advantage of by society because of her position as a woman. We are not in her head as much as I expected but the times we did gave her a lot of depth. Being in Lucien's head also gave his character depth. He wasn't a totally terrible antagonist which can often happen in these kinds of stories. Now don't get me wrong, he was vile and loathsome but he felt more like of those people who is completely misguided in that he thinks he is in the right, and that made him a much more engaging character.<br />
<br />
All in all, The Passion of Dolssa was a complex and engaging read that made me think. It's a good historical fiction novel that handled religion in a really great way and complex characters that I connected with more than I would expect.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry 8 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUj4hCvYbsJ19fjv7TEZv5R7P5I2PViEhEyPNHa0OUcH001HTQ5m5SdxpRqCE_2ubvNIqVgrV1wUNW2OS-4JI0vd4IqX406NoYNOoV4ap6bmGNAY5BCjT-OlrSDjIeRdPIUxHQsksOVdY_/s1600/Star+Rating-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUj4hCvYbsJ19fjv7TEZv5R7P5I2PViEhEyPNHa0OUcH001HTQ5m5SdxpRqCE_2ubvNIqVgrV1wUNW2OS-4JI0vd4IqX406NoYNOoV4ap6bmGNAY5BCjT-OlrSDjIeRdPIUxHQsksOVdY_/s1600/Star+Rating-8.jpg" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1278" height="78" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass:</span></u> Borrow.</b> If you haven't read this book and you are looking for a unique historical fiction novel then check this book out. What I am curious about is what people who are more religious think about it.<br />
<br />
Have you read The Passion of Dolssa? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-29522276309872200302019-02-26T10:00:00.000-05:002019-02-26T09:51:49.136-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: Places Mentioned In Books I Want to Visit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/TTT-NEW.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/TTT-NEW.png" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="500" height="161" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://thatartsyreadergirl.com/">That Artsy Reader Girl</a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSa7HgHw9rU5HXWcsTQIJS7LGj5fR-rMi8lP-4qWaph8Uv9s2nxmQ" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="269" height="139" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSa7HgHw9rU5HXWcsTQIJS7LGj5fR-rMi8lP-4qWaph8Uv9s2nxmQ" width="200" /></a><a href="https://media4.allnumis.com/4083/scotland_4083_7580439742bc9baL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="800" height="144" src="https://media4.allnumis.com/4083/scotland_4083_7580439742bc9baL.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2883/10867368625_767b32267b_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="800" height="123" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2883/10867368625_767b32267b_b.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>1.) Paris from <u>Spectacle </u>by Jodi Lynn Zdrok</b><br />
I just read this book and one of the things I loved about it was how Parisian it felt. It made me want to visit Paris again and see all the things I never got to see the first time. It's the kind of city that you can never visit enough.<br />
<br />
<b>2.) Scotland from <u>Outlander</u> by Diana Gabaldon and <u>City of Ghosts </u>by Victoria Schwab</b><br />
There are a lot of places I want to visit but I'll be honest, I wasn't much interested in Scotland until these two books. Outlander makes me want to go to the Highlands and explore the countryside while City of Ghosts has super intrigued me about Edinburgh.<br />
<br />
<b>3.) Arizona from <u>Vengeance Road</u> by Erin Bowman</b><br />
So, this is less about the actual book and more about one of my best friends from college moved there. I haven't seen her in five years and I would like to visit. Also, Arizona in February? Sounds like a great idea.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://designshop-6aa0.kxcdn.com/photos/greetings-from-prague-travel-vacation-send-postcard-online-1975_68.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="800" height="141" src="https://designshop-6aa0.kxcdn.com/photos/greetings-from-prague-travel-vacation-send-postcard-online-1975_68.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://rlv.zcache.com/beautiful_santorini_greece_postcard-r58ad70ab536a49e1adb50ce724685c29_vgbaq_8byvr_307.jpg?rvtype=content" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="307" height="151" src="https://rlv.zcache.com/beautiful_santorini_greece_postcard-r58ad70ab536a49e1adb50ce724685c29_vgbaq_8byvr_307.jpg?rvtype=content" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINo_nEh_UhgYfPM_xa0ITUT3FeLz-U7k-nRY0RJ7nlAq9944vQxgjWAe56SmpXv39kCm1txbPNZUkeaq1quWdHPntILpMYGRGYPWi1sFh92a6BFdDdkvjUtS5PGQV8vawSxViIIZx1Rji/s1600/PC283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="400" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINo_nEh_UhgYfPM_xa0ITUT3FeLz-U7k-nRY0RJ7nlAq9944vQxgjWAe56SmpXv39kCm1txbPNZUkeaq1quWdHPntILpMYGRGYPWi1sFh92a6BFdDdkvjUtS5PGQV8vawSxViIIZx1Rji/s1600/PC283.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>4.) Prague from <u>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</u> by Laini Taylor</b><br />
There are a lot of places in Eastern Europe I want to visit and Prague is one of them. I'd love to go and explore some of the places that Karou and Zuze go to throughout the book.<br />
<br />
<b>5.) Santorini from <u>Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants</u> by Ann Brashares</b><br />
I loved this series back in the day. It was one of those books that got me back into YA when I was in college. One of the best parts of the book was Lena's trip to Santorini. It made me want to visit there.<br />
<br />
<b>6.) Istanbul (and also Wallachia) in <u>The Historian </u>by Elizabeth Kostova and <u>And I Darken</u> by Kiersten White</b><br />
Again, there are many places in Eastern Europe I want to visit and Istanbul is one of them. Both of these books make it sound beautiful and amazing. Plus Wallachia would be cool because of all the Gothic castles.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<a href="https://rlv.zcache.com/amsterdam_holland_night_view_photo_postcard-rd50ce49e5350481dbf951e9a60476896_vgbaq_8byvr_307.jpg?rvtype=content" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="307" height="151" src="https://rlv.zcache.com/amsterdam_holland_night_view_photo_postcard-rd50ce49e5350481dbf951e9a60476896_vgbaq_8byvr_307.jpg?rvtype=content" width="200" /></a><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5546/12632998725_0a3e00e027_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="800" height="132" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5546/12632998725_0a3e00e027_b.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://ih0.redbubble.net/image.539239144.4258/flat,800x800,070,f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://ih0.redbubble.net/image.539239144.4258/flat,800x800,070,f.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cabeswater <span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Fanart by </span><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/starsocks/works/31064258-cabeswater-henrietta-virginia?p=art-print" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">starsocks</a></div>
<br />
<b>7.) Amsterdam from <u>The Fault in Our Stars</u> by John Green</b><br />
Unpopular opinion: I don't like this book. But I do still want to visit Amsterdam. When I was studying abroad I never went to Amsterdam and I kind of regret it because I actually have family from Holland.<br />
<br />
<b>8.) London (but mostly Red London) from A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab</b><br />
London is another on of those places I have visited but only for a short period of time. There are so many more places I would like to go to and explore some more. Plus maybe I could find a way to Red London because then.. MAGIC!<br />
<br />
<b>9.) Henrietta from <u>The Raven Cycle </u>by Maggie Steifvater </b><br />
Henrietta is not a real place in Virginia but if it was I would want to go there. I hear the Smoky Mountains are beautiful and the added mystery of this book makes me want to explore Henrietta and try to find Cabeswater.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1411070285l/22571275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1411070285l/22571275.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1525436165l/38244358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1525436165l/38244358.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474154022l/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474154022l/3.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>10.) Adria from <u>the Embassy Row series</u> by Ally Carter</b><br />
This is also not a real place and I don't know what inspired it but I want to go to there. It's like a beautiful island I think in the Mediterranean. Or maybe the Adriatic. That would actually make more sense.<br />
<br />
<b>11.) The Goblin Market from <u>In an Absent Dream</u> by Seanan McGuire</b><br />
This is the fourth book in the Wayward Children series which is about doors to fantasy worlds opening to people. When I read this book I was so intrigued by the Goblin Market. If I had a door open to me it would be to this world.<br />
<br />
1<b>2.) Hogwarts from the<u> Harry Potter series</u> by J.K. Rowling</b><br />
This should be no surprise. I mean, every person who grew up on Harry Potter wants to visit Hogwarts, right?<br />
<br />
There you have it. All the places in books I want to visit. What locations made your list. Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-40133437135558317982019-02-25T08:00:00.000-05:002019-02-25T08:00:06.776-05:00Review: Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537551594l/39863277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537551594l/39863277.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> Bloodwitch</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Series: <i>The Witchlands #3</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Susan Dennard</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: February 12, 2019 by TorTeen Macmillan</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=32333175&ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32333175-tash-hearts-tolstoy">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: Fans of Susan Dennard's <i>New York Times</i> bestselling Witchlands series have fallen in love with the Bloodwitch Aeduan. And now, finally, comes his story. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">High in a snowy mountain range, a monastery that holds more than just faith clings to the side of a cliff. Below, thwarted by a lake, a bloodthirsty horde of raiders await the coming of winter and the frozen path to destroy the sanctuary and its secrets. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">The Bloodwitch Aeduan has teamed up with the Threadwitch Iseult and the magical girl Owl to stop the destruction. But to do so, he must confront his own father, and his past.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I am still kind of reeling after finishing this book a day after writing this review. Bloodwitch was one of my most anticipated reads of 2019 after waiting two years to read it. And just like the previous books in this series, it did not disappoint. This was an amazing fantasy read.<br />
<br />
My favorite thing about this book, and this series in general, is the world. This is one of the most amazing and involved fantasy world that I have experienced in a long time. It is one of those worlds where history and mythology affects things in a big way. As the series goes on, we are learning more and more about the world. I listened to an interview with Susan recently where she mentioned she set out to write a book that is like adult fantasy where you don’t reveal things about the magic and world until much later, and that’s exactly what she has done. It’s the kind of world where you are shown instead of told. It has me completely enthralled and wanting to know more. Here we learn a good amount but I still has so many questions.<br />
<br />
As for the plot, this is a book that had that classic sword and sorcery kind of vibes. It’s full of action and adventure with the main characters trying to save the world and their kingdoms from other countries and even scarier threats. I do feel a little bit like this was that bridge book that you see a lot in a series. It didn’t necessarily have it’s own plot but merely connected the stories from the first two books while setting up the final books. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t interesting. Susan is a master plotter who does a great job of setting up little things so she can knock them down later to a huge impact. Things are starting to get knocked down in this one, which meant surprises and twists that had me screaming internally. The book also built to a thrilling conclusion and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I desperately need a reread of the books before that, especially Sightwitch. The way Susan plots I know this is going to be one of those series worth going back to books for reminders and for theory crafting.<br />
<br />
One of the things that I think made this plot a little bit more challenging in terms of a cohesive story is the fact that it told in multiple perspectives. It is one more example of what gives this book that classic fantasy vibe but it also adds a lot of moving parts. This book had five or six different perspectives and many of them were going in very different places and doing very different things. And which often happens with this kind of thing, some of the perspectives were more interesting than others. I think my favorite perspectives were the ones that were more about the big picture and mythology of the series, like Isuelt and Aeduan, over those who had more of the political intrigue like Vivia and Safi. The one who surprised me the most was Merik. Merik had a storyline that had me completely enthralled and I surprisingly wanted to go back to him even though he is not one of my favorite characters. But that is just the nature of books with multiple perspectives like Bloodwitch.<br />
<br />
But I can forgive the multiple perspectives because the characters here are so amazing. Susan is definitely a master of complex characterization and this book was a perfect example. There is a good sized squad in this series and I am invested in every single one of them. There is a lot of great character development here as many of the characters are deciding who they are and the heroes they want to be. I was fully-invested in them and their success. This book is Aeduan’s book so of course we learn a lot more about him and his history. He’s always been one of the characters I found the most interesting so I loved being able to find out about him and be in his head. Isuelt might be my favorite though. She is really coming into her own and becoming this amazing badass. These two together also make an amazing team and they were seriously killing me with feels every time they were together. The character who surprised me the most though was Merik. He’s never been one of my favorites but he is the one who has the best development and is very much continuing his redemptive arc. But I love every character I this series. Whether they are complex and likable or the kind of characters you love to hate, they are all incredibly interesting.<br />
<br />
All in all, this is a truly amazing book and a series that keeps getting better. It has an absolutely fascinating world full of mythology and magic, a thrilling sword and sorcery plot development, and characters that are complex with great development.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard 9.5 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.repocast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Star-Rating-9.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="800" height="78" src="https://www.repocast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Star-Rating-9.5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass</span></u>: BUY!</b> If you like the first two books in this series If you are a fan of fantasy, YA or adult, I would absolutely recommend this series. It will be an amazing series to binge.<br />
<br />
Have you read Bloodwitch? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks you for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-57985978662216858012019-02-21T08:00:00.001-05:002019-02-21T08:00:07.822-05:00Review: Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1533803577l/34020742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1533803577l/34020742.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> Spectacle</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Jodie Lynn Zdrok</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: February 12, 2019 by Tor Teen (Macmillan)</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=34020742&ref=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34020742-spectacle">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: A YA murder mystery in which a young reporter must use her supernatural visions to help track down a killer targeting the young women of Paris. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"> Paris, 1887. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"> Sixteen-year-old Nathalie Baudin writes the daily morgue column for Le Petit Journal. Her job is to summarize each day's new arrivals, a task she finds both fascinating and routine. That is, until the day she has a vision of the newest body, a young woman, being murdered--from the perspective of the murderer himself. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">When the body of another woman is retrieved from the Seine days later, Paris begins to buzz with rumors that this victim may not be the last. Nathalie's search for answers sends her down a long, twisty road involving her mentally ill aunt, a brilliant but deluded scientist, and eventually into the Parisian Catacombs. As the killer continues to haunt the streets of Paris, it becomes clear that Nathalie's strange new ability may make her the only one who can discover the killer's identity--and she'll have to do it before she becomes a target herself.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
You know when there is a YA historical mystery I'm not going to be far behind wanting to read it. Especially one with fantasy elements and one set in Belle Epoque Paris. This is such a me book. Which is why I was so thankful to <a href="http://bookstakeyouplaces.com/">Alyssa (aka WiththeBanned)</a> for sharing her ARC with me. And while this book wasn't perfect it was engaging and compulsively readable.<br />
<br />
My favorite thing about this book was the setting. I like historical fiction and because of that I read a lot of it. The best ones do a really good job of establishing time and place. This was one of those books. The author clearly did her research into what life was life in Paris during the end of the 1880's. For me, Paris really came to life in this book and it had me wanting to go back to the city. I also feel like she did a great job with establishing the culture of the time for the wealthy class, with their fixation on dressing up to visit the morgue and attending seances. I even found myself wondering if there was actually a serial killer in Paris at the time because it did feel so grounded in the history. I felt like this setting was a great aspect of this book and with someone who has been wanting books set in Belle Epoque Paris, that is a definite plus.<br />
<br />
I also really enjoyed the fantasy elements of this book. It added a great layer to not only the setting, but the plot of the book. It reminded me a lot of The Diviners series by Libba Bray. It had that same kind of vibes. It was sometimes gory and grotesque and sometimes mysterious and fantastical. I really like that the magic had clear rules and consequences and that each person's powers were different and that they were connected to the individual. What I really like is that it was grounded in science and history. The experiments that lead to the magic seemed like the kind of thing that someone would actually have done. It felt possible which made me enjoy it even more.<br />
<br />
However, I wasn't totally impressed by the plot development and pacing. I am a plot-driven reader so a strong plot is very important to me, especially when it comes to mysteries. I like my mysteries to be complex and solvable. I want to be able to solve them along with the reader. Here I felt like this was the kind of mystery where they didn't want you to solve anything. They wanted to just surprise and take you for a ride with interesting twists and turns. Which is fine, and definitely what this book did, but that's not the kind of book that I enjoy. I wish it was more of a detective novel. But instead it just felt a little bit disconnected where a big reveal was then followed up with a slower sections where things would drag until the next twist. If there was more of a slow build up to a big reveal I think I would have enjoyed the plot more.<br />
<br />
The characters too fell a little flat for me. I did like the main character of Nathalie. I feel like she was probably the most interesting character. She's one of those historical fiction heroines who is a bit ahead of her time and wants to be something that society doesn't really accept her as because she is a woman. A good amount of this book is her figuring out exactly who she wants to be and not caring about what society says about it and that is something I will always get behind. But the rest of the characters didn't make a great impression. This is the kind of book where you very easily could have a had a squad behind you with Simone, Christophe, and Louis but they were just tangentially involved. But this book was much about Nathalie and she really carried it.<br />
<br />
All in all, I thought this was a good read. It's fast and engaging with a good historical setting, an interesting magical system, and a plot full of twists and turns. It's not the most complex mystery I have read and the pacing was a bit off but I still really enjoyed it. It was a book I was really looking forward to and it met my expectations.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok 8 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUj4hCvYbsJ19fjv7TEZv5R7P5I2PViEhEyPNHa0OUcH001HTQ5m5SdxpRqCE_2ubvNIqVgrV1wUNW2OS-4JI0vd4IqX406NoYNOoV4ap6bmGNAY5BCjT-OlrSDjIeRdPIUxHQsksOVdY_/s1600/Star+Rating-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1278" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUj4hCvYbsJ19fjv7TEZv5R7P5I2PViEhEyPNHa0OUcH001HTQ5m5SdxpRqCE_2ubvNIqVgrV1wUNW2OS-4JI0vd4IqX406NoYNOoV4ap6bmGNAY5BCjT-OlrSDjIeRdPIUxHQsksOVdY_/s200/Star+Rating-8.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<b><u>Buy/Borrow/Bypass</u>: Borrow.</b> If you are a fan of historical mysteries and want a quick and interesting read I would check this one out from your local library. It didn't blow me away but I definitely enjoyed it.<br />
<br />
Have you read Spectacle? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-79665862343840759442019-02-20T16:30:00.000-05:002019-03-13T09:53:28.158-04:00Waiting on Wednesday: The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman<b></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFvXsKcDBzxm8xdd73vTMB7wg2z5t7oA_QJSugA4xCPmOf6_8SWc2pX2nWfZFZmx43qS7gSN5y8YFLFkF9kfJIstgkle-T4nwA4DJ0LwHN0c4Yzmp-cRd2xmxMMPxGejEwO_EH6-hF70/s1600/New+WoW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFvXsKcDBzxm8xdd73vTMB7wg2z5t7oA_QJSugA4xCPmOf6_8SWc2pX2nWfZFZmx43qS7gSN5y8YFLFkF9kfJIstgkle-T4nwA4DJ0LwHN0c4Yzmp-cRd2xmxMMPxGejEwO_EH6-hF70/s1600/New+WoW.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table background="http://i.imgur.com/9OPnZNk.png" border="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515416281l/35396970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1543850974l/36535913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1543850974l/36535913.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
Title: <u>The Devouring Gray</u><br />
Series: The Devouring Gray #1<br />
Written by: Christine Lynn Herman<br />
<div>
Published: April 2, 2019 by Disney-Hyperion</div>
<div>
(<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=36535913&ref=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36535913-the-devouring-gray?ac=1&from_search=true"><span style="color: blue;">Goodreads</span></a>)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Synopsis: On the edge of town a beast haunts the woods, trapped in the Gray, its bonds loosening…
<br />
<br />
Uprooted from the city, Violet Saunders doesn’t have much hope of fitting in at her new school in Four Paths, a town almost buried in the woodlands of rural New York. The fact that she’s descended from one of the town’s founders doesn’t help much, either—her new neighbours treat her with distant respect, and something very like fear. When she meets Justin, May, Isaac, and Harper, all children of founder families, and sees the otherworldly destruction they can wreak, she starts to wonder if the townsfolk are right to be afraid.<br />
<br />
When bodies start to appear in the woods, the locals become downright hostile. Can the teenagers solve the mystery of Four Paths, and their own part in it, before another calamity strikes?</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody><tbody></tbody></table>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b><u><br />Why I'm Waiting: </u></b></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
When I first learned about this book I was attracted to it because it was pitched as Stranger Things meets The Raven Cycle which are two things I love and two things that sounded amazing combined. I mean, just read that synopsis! Mysterious small town with magical happenings and a mystery to solve. I am all in for those things.<br />
<br />
But then I learned that the author went to college in Rochester, New York and based the setting for this book on Western, New York. Usually when a book is set in "Upstate New York" they actually mean an hour outside of NYC, so it's really refreshing that this book is deep upstate. If you didn't know, I grew up in a small town in New York south of Rochester. I super excited to read a book that might remind me of my hometown. Mostly I'm hoping there is mention of Wegmans. If you really want to set a book in Rochester you need a Wegmans,<br />
<br />
I am very excited to read this book. It is without a doubt one of my most anticipated debuts of 2019. I am planning to get a copy when it comes out and I really hope that I enjoy it. I mean it sounds amazing so here's hoping.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/vO8F4fYQd39h6/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="480" height="227" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/vO8F4fYQd39h6/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on The Devouring Gray along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!</div>
</div>
My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-35018782017092971372019-02-19T08:00:00.000-05:002019-02-19T08:00:03.498-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books with Less Than 2000 Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/TTT-NEW.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/TTT-NEW.png" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="500" height="161" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A weekly meme hosted by<a href="http://thatartsyreadergirl.com/"> That Artsy Reader Girl</a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527308125l/26067820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527308125l/26067820.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520001301l/37789836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520001301l/37789836.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500590427l/29748943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500590427l/29748943.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456759359l/28554825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456759359l/28554825.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>1.) <u>The Agony House</u> by Cherie Priest </b>- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26067820-the-agony-house?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
This was one of my favorite books of last year and like no one has read it. It has less than 500 ratings on Goodreads. You all need to read it. It's about a family who move to New Orleans and their not sure if the house is falling apart or it's trying to kill them.<br />
<br />
<b>2.) <u>Give the Dark My Love</u> by Beth Revis</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37789836-give-the-dark-my-love?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
This book didn't come out that long ago but I didn't see very many people talking about it and I wish more people would. It's a great dark fantasy and I am excited for book two.<br />
<br />
<b>3.) <u>The Radical Element</u> by Jessica Spotswood and more</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29748943-the-radical-element?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I don't read a ton of anthology but these historical ones edited by Jessica Spotswood are great. I know a good amount of people read the first one but more people should read this one.<br />
<br />
<b>4.) <u>Kingdom of Ash & Briar</u> by Hannah West </b>- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28554825-kingdom-of-ash-and-briars?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
This book took some time to get into but it's one of the most creative fantasies I have read and is a really great retellings. It's pretty under the radar but I think more people should read it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444231895l/23716100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444231895l/23716100.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1513697694l/36949994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1513697694l/36949994.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494342734l/35099058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494342734l/35099058.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>5.) <u>Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies </u>by Lindsay Ribar </b>- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23716100-rocks-fall-everyone-dies?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I like weird books. Especially if they are weird mysteries with a unique magical world and that's what this book was. It's unlike any book I have read since and I definitely recommend it.<br />
<br />
<b>6.) <u>Black Wings Beating</u> by Alex London</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36949994-black-wings-beating?from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I listened to the audiobook for this one kind of on a whim and I was totally blown away. It was a fantastic fantasy and I loved the characters. It has less than 1,00 ratings and more people need to read it.<br />
<br />
<b>7.) <u>Gunslinger Girl</u> by Lindsay Ely </b>- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35099058-gunslinger-girl?ac=1&from_search=true#">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
This was one of my favorite debuts of last year. It was majorly creative and I just flew through it because it was super engrossing. I which more YA Westerns existed, especially if they were all like this.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634263l/25107416.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492886957l/29939028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492886957l/29939028.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1516986822l/36952596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1516986822l/36952596.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>8.) <u>The Arsonist</u> by Stephanie Oakes</b> - Add to Goodreads<br />
My friend Michelle recommended this to me. She thought it was a total me book, being a historical mystery, and she was totally. It was a really great book and it should have way more than the 874 ratings it has on Goodreads.<br />
<br />
<b>9.)<u> The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence</u> by Alyssa Palumbo</b> -<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939028-the-most-beautiful-woman-in-florence?ac=1&from_search=true"> Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I received this book from the publisher and I am so glad I accepted that email because this was a great historical fiction novel. I don't read enough adult historical fiction. I should read more.<br />
<br />
<b>10.) <u>Blanca & Roja</u> by Anna-Marie McLemore</b> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36952596-blanca-roja?ac=1&from_search=true">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
I really love Anna-Marie McLemore, she writes amazing magical realism stories. Her newest might be my favorite and it's super under rated. I was just telling my best friend about it. She should read it and so should you.<br />
<br />
There you have it. Ten books with less than 2,000 ratings on Goodreads I loved and think you should read. What under rated books made your list? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158143373242218557.post-55229129563834146802019-02-18T08:00:00.000-05:002019-02-18T08:00:00.566-05:00Review: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas<table background="http://www.kfwimer.com/images/gold-square.gif"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1518828894l/35068618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1518828894l/35068618.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Title:<u> On the Come Up</u></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;">Written by: Angie Thomas</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Published: February 5, 2019 by Balzar + Bray</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=35068618&ref=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> / </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35068618-on-the-come-up">Goodreads</a>)</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><u>Synopsis</u>: Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><i>On the Come Up</i> is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I loved The Hate U Give and so I was excited to read Angie's second book. And I am so glad I did because this book really solidified Angie as a tremendous talent when it comes to writing engaging and timely contemporary fiction.<br />
<br />
One of the things that I love about Angie as an author is the way she balances serious and complex issues without making them feel preachy. I don't read a lot of contemporaries ans the ones that I do, I like to have that balance serious and light moments. It's what makes the book feel more realistic and true to life. Like The Hate U Give, On the Come Up does a really good job of portraying the struggle people of color are going through, and how the system is built to keep them down. She doesn't shy away from things like racism, poverty, gangs, and drugs. Bri's life isn't easy and she and her family are struggling to make ends meet but their still full of humor and love for one another. That contrast gave the book a lot of depth and balance.<br />
<br />
But what made this book so complex and relatable is Bri and her struggle to decide who she wants to be versus what other people expect her to be. One of the tings I love about reading YA is that there is always this struggle, this coming-of-age story where the character has to decide for themselves who they are. With Bri she did this under the guise of her rap career. She writes what she feels and the song blows up but when people expect her to be everything that she trying to rap against she needs to decide if what her image should be. And while this is a kind of specific problem, it still felt really genuine and relatable. It helped me connect with Bri and gave her character a lot of depth.<br />
<br />
Although connecting with Bri was not very hard for me, in general I really liked Bri as a character. She's not necessarily going to be the kind of person everyone connects with. She's brash and reckless and is the kind of person who speaks before she things sometimes. Her mouth and temper gets her into a lot of trouble throughout the book. But I liked that she wasn't shy and she stood up for herself. Her choices weren't always the right ones, but they also aren't easy choices. I listened to the audiobook for this one because I really like the narrator, Bahni Turpin, but I was honestly a little nervous because she also narrated The Hate U Give and I didn't want to feel the same. But it didn't feel that way at all. Bri's voice shined through loud and clear, and it was a voice I enjoyed a lot.<br />
<br />
Bri was not the only interesting character though. One of the things Angie does so well is the family dynamic. I really loved the way she handled Bri's family. Her mom, Jay, was such a complex character. I felt like the relationship they had played a lot with the trope in YA of the absent parent. Jay used to be absent but now that she is sober and around she is struggling to prove to Bri that she can take care of her, even though she is struggling to make that happen. I really connected with Jay's story and rooted for her to succeed. I also really love Bri's brother Tre. He and Bri had a lot of love and affection for each other as they had been through so much but they also had that sibling relationship where they don't always get along. Some of the funniest moments came from those two messing with each other.<br />
<br />
All in all, I think this a fantastic follow up to the Hate U Give. It stands on its own as a fantastic read with a complex look at the issues people face today, great characters, and the perfect amount of humor and love.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I give On the Come Up by Angie Thomas 9.5 out of 10 stars</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.repocast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Star-Rating-9.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="800" height="78" src="https://www.repocast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Star-Rating-9.5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Buy/Borrow/Bypass</span></u>: Buy.</b> I would very highly recommend this book and honestly all of Angie Thomas' books. Fans of The Hate U Give should check it out. If you are a fan of contemporary novels I would absolutely recommend this one.<br />
<br />
Have you read On the Come Up? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!My Thoughts.... Literally!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09592484026919168003noreply@blogger.com0