Books I DNFd So Far This Year

Today I am going to talk about the books I DNFd so far this year. There has been a few, some of them I was gutted about, I really don’t have a problem with DNFing a book if I’m not into it, or enjoying it.

Please don’t be mad if you like one, or more of the books, this is just my feelings on the books.

Okay the first book might be the most controversial out of all of them, and the book is The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. (Goodreads)

I really did not like this book, I hated the main character, I did not like the faeries, I didn’t like the way things were happening. I just did not get on with this book, I got to almost halfway and I just could not carry on reading it. It was annoying because the synopsis for this book really caught my interest, and then it just really disappointed me. I don’t think I will ever try to read this book again.

Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton

In the ancient river kingdom, touch is a battlefield, bodies the instruments of war. Seventeen-year-old Mia Rose has pledged her life to hunting Gwyrach: women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood.

Not women. Demons. The same demons who killed her mother without a single scratch.

But when Mia’s father suddenly announces her marriage to the prince, she is forced to trade in her knives and trousers for a sumptuous silk gown. Only after the wedding goes disastrously wrong does she discover she has dark, forbidden magic—the very magic she has sworn to destroy. (Goodreads)

The start of this pulled me in, but then I just lost focus with this book, I will probably try to read this again when I am in the right head space for it. It still holds my interest, but at the time, when I was reading it, other books were calling out to me.

A Clockwork Orange By Anthony Burgess

A vicious fifteen-year-old “droog” is the central character of this 1963 classic, whose stark terror was captured in Stanley Kubrick’s magnificent film of the same title.

In Anthony Burgess’s nightmare vision of the future, where criminals take over after dark, the story is told by the central character, Alex, who talks in a brutal invented slang that brilliantly renders his and his friends’ social pathology. A Clockwork Orange is a frightening fable about good and evil, and the meaning of human freedom. When the state undertakes to reform Alex—to “redeem” him—the novel asks, “At what cost?” (Goodreads)

I just did not get this book, I’ve seen the film so I thought I would try the book. It made no sense, I just couldn’t understand the language. I don’t think I will ever try this book again.

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose … it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest … but she may be the darkest. (Goodreads)

Like The Cruel Prince, I just did not get on with this book, it just didn’t capture my interest, I may give this another go at a later date.

Bonfire by Krysten Ritter

It has been ten years since Abby Williams left home and scrubbed away all visible evidence of her small town roots. Now working as an environmental lawyer in Chicago, she has a thriving career, a modern apartment, and her pick of meaningless one-night stands.

But when a new case takes her back home to Barrens, Indiana, the life Abby painstakingly created begins to crack. Tasked with investigating Optimal Plastics, the town’s most high-profile company and economic heart, Abby begins to find strange connections to Barrens’ biggest scandal from more than a decade ago involving the popular Kaycee Mitchell and her closest friends—just before Kaycee disappeared for good.

Abby knows the key to solving any case lies in the weak spots, the unanswered questions. But as Abby tries to find out what really happened to Kaycee, she unearths an even more disturbing secret—a ritual called “The Game,” which will threaten the reputations, and lives, of the community and risk exposing a darkness that may consume her. (Goodreads)

This book just bored me, as horrible as that is to say, it just really didn’t interest me.

The Queen Of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

An untested young princess must claim her throne, learn to become a queen, and combat a malevolent sorceress in an epic battle between light and darkness in this spectacular debut—the first novel in a trilogy.

Young Kelsea Raleigh was raised in hiding after the death of her mother, Queen Elyssa, far from the intrigues of the royal Keep and in the care of two devoted servants who pledged their lives to protect her. Growing up in a cottage deep in the woods, Kelsea knows little of her kingdom’s haunted past . . . or that its fate will soon rest in her hands.

Long ago, Kelsea’s forefathers sailed away from a decaying world to establish a new land free of modern technology. Three hundred years later, this feudal society has divided into three fearful nations who pay duties to a fourth: the powerful Mortmesne, ruled by the cunning Red Queen. Now, on Kelsea’s nineteenth birthday, the tattered remnants of the Queen’s Guard—loyal soldiers who protect the throne—have appeared to escort the princess on a perilous journey to the capital to ascend to her rightful place as the new Queen of the Tearling.

Though born of royal blood and in possession of the Tear sapphire, a jewel of immense power and magic, Kelsea has never felt more uncertain of her ability to rule. But the shocking evil she discovers in the heart of her realm will precipitate an act of immense daring, throwing the entire kingdom into turmoil—and unleashing the Red Queen’s vengeance. A cabal of enemies with an array of deadly weapons, from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic, plots to destroy her. But Kelsea is growing in strength and stealth, her steely resolve earning her loyal allies, including the Queen’s Guard, led by the enigmatic Lazarus, and the intriguing outlaw known simply as “the Fetch.”

Kelsea’s quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun. Riddled with mysteries, betrayals, and treacherous battles, Kelsea’s journey is a trial by fire that will either forge a legend . . . or destroy her. (Goodreads)

This book was so slow, I just couldn’t get my head round it. I don’t think that I will ever try to read this book again.

To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy? (Goodreads)

I will definitely try to read this one again, I started this at the same time I was reading something else, and I put it down and kind of just didn’t pick it back up. So hopefully I will read this again sometime soon.

So there you have some of the books I didn’t finish. What are some of the books you DNFd?

Happy Reading.

Thanks Bookworms.

Book Review: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Today I am going to do a review of The Eyre Affair, I’m going to do something different while reviewing now, I’m going to list all the pros and cons, and then if I would recommend it or not, followed by my Goodreads rating.

All in all, I really enjoyed the book, it was a fun read.

Great Britain circa 1985: time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. Baconians are trying to convince the world that Francis Bacon really wrote Shakespeare, there are riots between the Surrealists and Impressionists, and thousands of men are named John Milton, an homage to the real Milton and a very confusing situation for the police. Amidst all this, Acheron Hades, Third Most Wanted Man In the World, steals the original manuscript of Martin Chuzzlewit and kills a minor character, who then disappears from every volume of the novel ever printed! But that’s just a prelude . . .

Hades’ real target is the beloved Jane Eyre, and it’s not long before he plucks her from the pages of Bronte’s novel. Enter Thursday Next. She’s the Special Operative’s renowned literary detective, and she drives a Porsche. With the help of her uncle Mycroft’s Prose Portal, Thursday enters the novel to rescue Jane Eyre from this heinous act of literary homicide. It’s tricky business, all these interlopers running about Thornfield, and deceptions run rampant as their paths cross with Jane, Rochester, and Miss Fairfax. Can Thursday save Jane Eyre and Bronte’s masterpiece? And what of the Crimean War? Will it ever end? And what about those annoying black holes that pop up now and again, sucking things into time-space voids . . . (Goodreads)

Pros

I absolutely loved the fact that this was set in a parallel London in 1985, for example instead of planes they had airships, the science is way more advanced.

I would say that this book fits under the genre Sci-fi. There are Pet Dodo’s, Thursday’s Dodo was called Pickwick, there were actual bookworms, there was a Prose Portal and Time travel. Thursday’s father was a time traveller and he would just pop out of nowhere and have a conversation with Thursday.

I loved the idea of the prose portal, the fact that they can go inside books and interact with the characters was such a fascinating idea.

This book was funny, wild and a little eccentric. It was a fast paced story that kept me engaged.

Cons

I only had a couple of problems with this book, the first being the Character of Thursday Next, I just felt that she didn’t have much substance, I just didn’t feel like I knew her or what she is like, this book I feel is more plot driven than character development.

The second problem I had with this book is, that the romance that was in here just seemed completely redundant, I didn’t really care what happened with the romance, I felt that he could have left it out. It didn’t bring much to the story.

The next thing is that they didn’t end up going into Jane Eyre until late in the book and I felt that more time should have been given to that part of the story.

Recommend or Not

I would recommend this book, its such a fun book and such an interesting idea, more people need to read this book.

Goodreads: 4 stars

Happy reading.

Thanks Bookworms

Victober 2018 Has Been Announced!

In October, an amazing readathon is going to happen. VICTOBER!!

Basically its a readathon where you just read Victorian literature, there are also 5 challenges. It is being hosted by 4 booktubers, they are:

Lucy from Lucythereader

Ange from Beyond the pages

Kate from Kate Howe

Katie from Books and Things

There is also a Goodreads group that you can join. Goodreads

For the readathon you just have to read Victorian novels, you don’t have to do the challenges if you don’t want to. The hosts each picked a challenge, and there is a general challenge. The challenges are:

Lucy’s challenge: Read a Victorian book written by a woman anonymously or under a pseudonym.
Ange’s challenge: Read a book by one of the hosts’ favourite Victorian authors (Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell or Thomas Hardy)
Kate’s challenge: Read a Victorian book with a proper noun (i.e. a place name or person’s name) in the title.
Katie’s challenge: Read a book from the first ten years of the Victorian period and/or a book from the last ten years of the Victorian period (i.e. 1837-1847 or 1891-1901)
General challenge: Read a Victorian book and watch a screen adaptation of it.

They are also doing a read along with the book, Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.

This is my TBR for Victober.

The book for each challenge

Lucy’s Challenge

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Ange’s Challenge

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Kate’s Challenge

Shirley by Charlotte Bronte

Katie’s Challenge

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

General Challenge

I may cheat and just use Wuthering Heights, only to see Tom Hardy, but I might also read Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.

I’m so looking forward to this readathon, I might not finish all of the challenges, because there are some other books that I want to read in October. So we shall see what happens.

I really hope some of you guys decide to take part, even if you just read one Victorian novel.

Happy reading guys!

Thanks Bookworms

Book Review of Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu

Holy Popcorn Batman! this was a good book.

Okay before I start, I have to admit that this was my first Marie Lu book. Yes I know, I should be hanging my head in shame, and I am. Now onto the review.

Before he was Batman, he was Bruce Wayne. A reckless boy willing to break the rules for a girl who may be his worst enemy.

The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list.

One by one, the city’s elites are being executed as their mansions’ security systems turn against them, trapping them like prey. Meanwhile, Bruce is turning eighteen and about to inherit his family’s fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Enterprises and all the tech gadgetry his heart could ever desire. But after a run-in with the police, he’s forced to do community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison that holds the city’s most brutal criminals.

Madeleine Wallace is a brilliant killer . . . and Bruce’s only hope.

In Arkham, Bruce meets Madeleine, a brilliant girl with ties to the Nightwalkers. What is she hiding? And why will she speak only to Bruce? Madeleine is the mystery Bruce must unravel. But is he getting her to divulge her secrets, or is he feeding her the information she needs to bring Gotham City to its knees? Bruce will walk the dark line between trust and betrayal as the Nightwalkers circle closer. (Goodreads)

I absolutely loved this book, I loved Marie’s writing and the fact that the book was fast paced, I loved her take on Batman’s story. I really liked the way that she wrote about Gotham city, the way she described it, gave it a cloudy, dark mood that is the setting of Gotham.

Bruce Wayne as a character, I think she did really well, in this book he has just turned 18, and he gets into a bit of trouble and ends up doing some work in Arkham Asylum. I so enjoyed the fact that most of the book was set in Arkham. Bruce is a typical teenage boy, he makes mistakes but he always tries to fix them. I liked his friends and the fact that one of them was Harvey Dent, If your a fan of Batman you should know who he is.

I really liked Madeleine Wallace, she was such an interesting character and I was always routing for her, when somethings was happening, I was like nearly yelling at the book, shouting “Girl sort your shit out.” I honestly think there could be a second book after this one, I just really want to explore Marie’s version of this tale. Marie stuck to most of the major plot points in the Batman universe, like the death of his parents, him being in charge at Wayne Enterprises ect.

The action scenes actually got my blood going, I was on the edge of my seat, it was a real page turner.

This book has really made me excited to read more books by Marie Lu.

I highly recommend this book, even if you don’t know anything about Batman, I think you would enjoy it.

Goodreads: 5 Stars

Thanks Bookworms.

September TBR

Today I’m going to share with you, what I plan to read in September.

All of the synopsises will be from Goodreads.

Paperbacks

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Cassidy Blake’s parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn’t sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn’t belong in her world. Cassidy’s powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.

Playing Twm by Ruth Morgan

It couldn’t get much worse for Midge – moving from London to sleepy mid Wales.

Teased relentlessly by her new schoolmates, and comforted only by the news that Dylan Blane – Hollywood super-star – has Welsh roots, Midge prefers her personal dream-world to the dubious attentions of Kneck Edwards and his loutish friends.

Co-starring with pin-up Dyaln strictly in her imagination, Midge is electrified as dreams start turning into reality. When an international movie company arrives to film Outlaw Twm in the wild Welsh hills, not only does Midge land a walk-on part, but she gets to work alongside Dylan Blane himself.

Only that’s when Midge’s dreams start turning into nightmares…

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Hailsham seems like a pleasant English boarding school, far from the influences of the city. Its students are well tended and supported, trained in art and literature, and become just the sort of people the world wants them to be. But, curiously, they are taught nothing of the outside world and are allowed little contact with it.

Within the grounds of Hailsham, Kathy grows from schoolgirl to young woman, but it’s only when she and her friends Ruth and Tommy leave the safe grounds of the school (as they always knew they would) that they realize the full truth of what Hailsham is.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.

From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post By Emily M. Danforth

When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they’ll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.

But that relief doesn’t last, and Cam is soon forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone (as her grandmother might say), and Cam becomes an expert at both.

Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship–one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to “fix” her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self–even if she’s not exactly sure who that is.

Kindle

Warcross by Marie Lu

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

Two years after escaping Gotham City’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking.

Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman may be Batwing’s undoing.

Vicious by V. E Schwab

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

So there you have my TBR for September, I hopefully will read all of them.

Thanks Bookworms.

Rhondda Book Fair

Today was a new experience for me. I have never been to a book fair before, and I have to say I absolutely enjoyed myself. I left with a bag of books, that actually killed me while trying to carry it, so many books were bought.

The Rhondda book fair has happened for the past 3 years, this one was the fourth. It was run and set up by Colin R Parsons, who is a childrens author. It’s so good to have something like this in our community, as a book lover who lives in a small town in Wales, there are not many things that happen to do with books. When I found out about this 4 days ago I was amazed that something like this was happening here, the chance to meet authors and get books is an amazing experience. It also brings the community of book lovers together.

It was so good to see and meet all the authors there, they were all lovely and I had some really interesting chats with some of them. As soon as you walk through the door there was a cake stand, and what more could you want, cake and books equals an awesome day to me.

Books

These are all the books I bought at the fair. Most of them are signed by the authors. The list of authors that turned up at the event were Graham Watkins – Daniel Parsons – Angela Fish – Christoph Fischer – Sally Spedding – Mark Dorey – Will Macmillan Jones – Tom Phelps – Dave Lewis – Julie McGowan – Julian Roderick – Nigel C Williams – Damian Harvey – Gail B Williams – Phil Carradice – Helen Forder – Darrell James – Ruth Morgan – Mike Thomas and Jan Newton.

Some of the best conversations I had were with Ruth Morgan, Colin Parsons and Sally Spedding. They were all genuinely, lovely people.

I honestly hope this happens again next year, I really enjoyed my time at the fair, if I could have bought more books I would have, I just couldn’t physically carry anymore.

Thanks Bookworms

Most Anticipated Book Releases For the Rest of the Year.

Today I want to share with you, the books I am looking forward to, coming out in the next few months. Oh my gosh there are a load of books I need in my life, I’m going to be broke by the end of the year, but its okay, I will get all the pretty books.

This list will go in order of release date.

4th September

Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer

Dexter meets This Savage Song in this dark fantasy about a girl who sells magical body parts on the black market — until she’s betrayed.

Nita doesn’t murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet—her mother does that. Nita just dissects the bodies after they’ve been “acquired.” But when her mom brings home a live specimen, Nita decides she wants out — dissecting living people is a step too far.

But when she tries to save her mother’s victim, she ends up sold on the black market in his place — because Nita herself is a supernatural being. Now Nita is on the other side of the bars, and there is no line she won’t cross to escape and make sure no one can ever capture her again.

Nita did a good deed, and it cost her everything. Now she’s going to do a lot of bad deeds to get it all back. (Goodreads)

I’m so excited for this book. If someone tells me there is a fantasy book coming out that is like Dexter, you can bet your ass I’m going to want to read it.

25th September

The Sisters of the Winter Woods by Rena Rossner

Raised in a small village surrounded by vast forests, Liba and Laya have lived a peaceful sheltered life – even if they’ve heard of troubling times for Jews elsewhere. When their parents travel to visit their dying grandfather, the sisters are left behind in their home in the woods.

But before they leave, Liba discovers the secret that their Tati can transform into a bear, and their Mami into a swan. Perhaps, Liba realizes, the old fairy tales are true. She must guard this secret carefully, even from her beloved sister.

Soon a troupe of mysterious men appear in town and Laya falls under their spell-despite their mother’s warning to be wary of strangers. And these are not the only dangers lurking in the woods…

The sisters will need each other if they are to become the women they need to be – and save their people from the dark forces that draw closer. (Goodreads)

This story just sounded intriguing. Also the cover is really pretty, I know you shouldn’t buy a book based on the cover, but what are you going to do, I like a pretty cover.

2nd October

There are a few books coming out on this date.

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

Felicity Montague is through with pretending she prefers society parties to books about bone setting—or that she’s not smarter than most people she knows, or that she cares about anything more than her dream of becoming a doctor.

A year after an accidentally whirlwind tour of Europe, which she spent evading highwaymen and pirates with her brother Monty, Felicity has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of Callum Doyle, a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh; and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.

But then a small window of hope opens. Doctor Alexander Platt, an eccentric physician that Felicity idolizes, is looking for research assistants, and Felicity is sure that someone as forward thinking as her hero would be willing to take her on. However, Platt is in Germany, preparing to wed Felicity’s estranged childhood friend Johanna. Not only is Felicity reluctant to opening old wounds, she also has no money to make the trip.

Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid. In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that will lead her from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic. (Goodreads)

I read the first book by audio, and it was so funny, I can’t wait for this one to come out.

Muse Of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.

Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice—save the woman he loves, or everyone else?—while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she’s capable of.

As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel’s near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead? (Goodreads)

AHHHHHHH!!! So Excited for this, I just can’t.

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

A dark and gorgeously drawn standalone YA fantasy about a band of mercenary girls in search of female glory. Won in a major six-house auction!

Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies—girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. But Frey is weary of the death trade and, having been raised on the heroic sagas of her people, dreams of a bigger life.

When she hears of an unstoppable monster ravaging a nearby town, Frey decides this is the Mercies’ one chance out. The fame and fortune of bringing down such a beast would ensure a new future for all the Mercies. In fact, her actions may change the story arc of women everywhere. (Goodreads)

Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman

The drought—or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it—has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers.

Until the taps run dry.

Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbours and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return and her life—and the life of her brother—is threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive

I love Neal Shusterman, Im so excited to read this.

Melmoth by Sarah Perry

For centuries, the mysterious dark-robed figure has roamed the globe, searching for those whose complicity and cowardice have fed into the rapids of history’s darkest waters—and now, in Sarah Perry’s breathtaking follow-up to The Essex Serpent, it is heading in our direction.

It has been years since Helen Franklin left England. In Prague, working as a translator, she has found a home of sorts—or, at least, refuge. That changes when her friend Karel discovers a mysterious letter in the library, a strange confession and a curious warning that speaks of Melmoth the Witness, a dark legend found in obscure fairy tales and antique village lore. As such superstition has it, Melmoth travels through the ages, dooming those she persuades to join her to a damnation of timeless, itinerant solitude. To Helen it all seems the stuff of unenlightened fantasy.

But, unaware, as she wanders the cobblestone streets Helen is being watched. And then Karel disappears. . . . (Goodreads)

9th October

What if It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?

But what if it is? (Goodreads)

I feel like I have been waiting a million years for this book, I can not wait!!!

20th November

Fire and Blood by George RR Martin

With all the fire and fury fans have come to expect from internationally bestselling author George R. R. Martin, this is the first volume of the definitive two-part history of the Targaryens in Westeros.

Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire and Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.

What really happened during the Dance of the Dragons? Why did it become so deadly to visit Valyria after the Doom? What is the origin of Daenerys’s three dragon eggs? These are but a few of the questions answered in this essential chronicle, as related by a learned maester of the Citadel and featuring more than eighty all-new black-and-white illustrations by artist Doug Wheatley. Readers have glimpsed small parts of this narrative in such volumes as The World of Ice & Fire, but now, for the first time, the full tapestry of Targaryen history is revealed.

With all the scope and grandeur of Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Fire and Blood is the ultimate game of thrones, giving readers a whole new appreciation for the dynamic, often bloody, and always fascinating history of Westeros. (Goodreads)

It’s not the book I was hoping for, I mean is he ever going to release Winds of Winter. Anyway I’m always up for a new book set in Westeros .

So there you have it, these are all the books I am looking forward to for the rest of the year.

What are some of the books you can’t wait to get?

Thanks Bookworms

Book Review: Legendary By Stephanie Garber

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister’s. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…the games have only just begun. (Goodreads)

I really enjoyed this book, I think I prefer this book to the first one Caraval. I Love Stephanie’s writing it seems almost poetic, the way she describes places, smells and colours, leads to some beautiful prose. She also uses colours in an interesting way to make you feel like you are there.

I love the world in Caraval, and how magical it is. The story is good and I loved the fact that this book is told from the point of view of Donatella, where Caraval is told in Scarlett’s point of view. Donatella I found to be a much more interesting character, she is more fiery and she seems stronger than Scarlett.

Even thou I guessed the end of this book, it didn’t take away the enjoyment of reading it. I highly recommend this series. It’s such an interesting fantasy story and you get caught up in the lives of the characters, and also the games of Caraval, I love the aspect of hunting down clues, it gave the book a mystery feel.

I can’t wait for the last book to come out. Let the Games BEGIN!!

Goodreads: 4.25 Stars

Thanks Bookworms

August Book Haul

Today I am going to show you the books that I have bought in August. All of the synopsis will be from Goodreads.

Cassidy Blake’s parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

In the spirit of trying more middle grade I picked this up.

There’s no ancient evil to defeat or orphan destined for greatness, just unlikely heroes and classic adventure. Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, are two enterprising rogues who end up running for their lives when they’re framed for the murder of the king. Trapped in a conspiracy that goes beyond the overthrow of a tiny kingdom, their only hope is unraveling an ancient mystery before it’s too late.

This is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses. Theirs is a world in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren’s capital city. A world transformed by a power based on an essence known as breath. Using magic is arduous as breath can only be collected one unit at a time.

Told in Kvothe’s own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.

The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature.

A high-action story written with a poet’s hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they’ll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.

‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.’ Thus memorably begins Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, one of the world’s most popular novels. Pride and Prejudice–Austen’s own ‘darling child’–tells the story of fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennett, one of five sisters who must marry rich, as she confounds the arrogant, wealthy Mr. Darcy. What ensues is one of the most delightful and engrossingly readable courtships known to literature, written by a precocious Austen when she was just twenty-one years old.

This is my second, copy of this book.

It was only an accident — but it would change their lives forever. Last summer, four terrified friends made a desperate pact to conceal a shocking secret. But some secrets don’t stay buried, and someone has learned the truth. Someone bent on revenge. This summer, the horror is only beginning….

Why does the exclusive boarding school Blackwood have only four students?

Kit walks the dark halls and feels a penetrating chill. What terror waits around the next corner?

If you guys have read any of these books let me know.

Thanks Bookworms

Book Review: Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd.

Acclaimed authors Holly Black (Ironside) and Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof) have united in geekdom to edit short stories from some of the best selling and most promising geeks in young adult literature: M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, John Green, Tracy Lynn, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfield, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr.

With illustrated interstitials from comic book artists Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O’Malley, Geektastic covers all things geeky, from Klingons and Jedi Knights to fan fiction, theater geeks, and cosplayers. Whether you’re a former, current, or future geek, or if you just want to get in touch with your inner geek, Geektastic will help you get your geek on! (Goodreads)

I found this collection of stories on a whim, when I was looking on Amazon. Honestly this was just a random purchase, but I’m so glad that I picked it up. Some of the stories in this book are so funny.

Geektastic is a neutral zone for all the geeks out there (yes this does include me)

There is a love story between a Jedi and a Klingon, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer sing along, A Rocky Horror Picture show obsessive, A girl who wants learn about geek things to understand what her boyfriend talks about, and a girl who loves Dinosaurs.

Some of the fandoms mentioned are Star Wars, Star Trek, Buffy, Lord of the rings, Rocky Horror, and many more.

My favourite stories were, The Jedi and The Klingon, and Dino-Girl. I found these to be the funniest, thou Dino-Girl did turn a little dark towards the end.

Also between each story there were little comics, this was one of my favourite:

I highly recommend this, if you fancy reading a quick, funny book.

Goodreads: 4.25 Stars

Thanks Bookworms