Dee’s Reading Tree

WWW Wednesday

June 4, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

This is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where you answer three questions: What are you reading now? What did you just read? What will you be reading next?

My bookstagram

What I’m reading now

Lately, I’ve gotten in this habit of reading and listening to multiple books at a time. For now, it helps that they are all in different formats; I also read them in different places and times. Currently, I am reading the Shadow and Bone paperback by Leigh Bardugo, but I’ve only been reading it on my breaks at work. I’m listening to an audio book of The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiedvater, but only on my work commute and while doing shores around the house. Finally, I’m reading an e-book of Lifelike by Jay Kristoff on my down time at home while I watch the kids. Out of all these formats, real books are still my favorite.

What I just read

I just read the hardback version of Daughter of the Pirate King by Levenseller, which was fun and entertaining but only a three star read for me. Also, I half read and half listened to One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake, the second book in the Three Dark Crowns series which was only a two star read for me. (read my mini reviews here).

I read the hardback version of A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, which will definitely make my top ten reads this year (review coming soon). I also listened the Sky in the Deep audio book by Adrienne Young. This book was an amazing read with great world building and character development. You can read my full review here.

What I plan to read next

I really don’t know. My physical TBR has so many good potential reads on there that I don’t know what to pick. In the end I think it will come down to Iluminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff or Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.

What are your WWW’s?

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Sky in the Deep

June 3, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vegr yfir fjor. Honor above life.”
sky in the deep

In Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young, we follow Eelyn’s journey, as she fights to uphold everything she has ever believed in amidst a changing reality. Eelyn is part of the Aska clan, who for generations has fought against the Riki clan, the feud said to have been started by the Gods themselves. Then, one day she sees her brother in the battle field, the brother she had thought to be dead, but instead he is fighting for the other side. This moment sparks a series of events which threaten to break the very fabric of their society, maybe for the better.

Adrienne Young paints a striking Viking-like world for us, a harsh place where only one thing is certain, you fight or you die. Her descriptions make everything come alive, especially the cold. I have never seen the snow, but Young makes it seem equal parts beautiful and terrifying. The mountain, the fjord, and the forest, are all described in great detail as well.

I was the ice on the river. The snow clinging onto the mountainside.”
sky in the deep

This story had great character development. The characters change gradually, and with good reason. I liked the romance aspect of it, mainly because it didn’t take over the whole plot, and it wasn’t “insta-love,” it developed slowly and realistically. I especially liked the father-daughter relationship between Eelyn and her dad. I’m glad I’m seeing more of these in my most recent YA/Fantasy reads. This story touched on all the things that make us family, and the fact that sometimes family is the people you choose and not the ones you are born to.

We find things, just as we lose things. If you’ve lost your honor, you’ll find it again.”
sky in the deep

The women in this book are strong, and many of them are leaders. The men worship their women, and fight to protect their people. I liked that both sexes are seen as warriors and providers. Unfortunately, even the children are encouraged to be strong in this harsh world which mostly leaves no place for innocence and growing up. It makes for some interesting children though, I especially liked Halvard, Fiske’s little brother. I heard her next book The Girl the Sea Gave Back is in part about him. I loved everything about this book, and I will definitely be reading anything else she writes.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

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Monday Cleaning Day

June 2, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

As of today, my TBR is down to 63 books, because I automatically deleted the next one for the Three Dark Crowns series. I decided not to continue with the series after reading One Dark Crown and being highly disappointed. Once again, I ordered the books on my Goodreads TBR in reverse chronological order, and I took a look at the first five not counting the ones I’ve already decided to keep in other Mondays.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

I bought this one on Mother’s day, and I cannot wait to read it. The sample I read was amazing, and it has great reviews on Goodreads. A lot of friends on my bookstagram recommended it as well.

Keep 🙂

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

I’m so ashamed I still haven’t read this one. I’ve heard great things about it, and the sample I read was great. Now I just have to get to it.

Keep 🙂

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.” (Goodreads)

With a description beginning with that how can I not be intrigued?

Keep 🙂

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

The description of this book sounds a little like a fairy tale. The whole step-mother thing reminds me of Cinderella. I do love fairy tales, but this one doesn’t sound appealing.

Delete 😦

The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson

Let me start by saying that I hate this cover. It doesn’t have many reviews on Goodreads, which makes me think this was just another of those hyped up books. I also read the sample and it didn’t sound appealing.

Delete 😦

Have you read any of these? Would you keep or delete them?

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My Favorite Book Covers

May 31, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

When the cover for this book was announced I almost burst into tears. Let me tell you I am not usually a crier, but I had been waiting for this book for two years. Also, yellow is my favorite color, and look at how beautiful she looks. This book was the perfect ending to one of my favorite series. It gave each character and each sub-plot the closure they needed. It was amazing and I could not put it down.

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

All the covers for this series are gorgeous, but this one and the upcoming novella Reveal Me, are my favorites. I can’t wait to own all of these, so they can adorn my shelves. Currently, I only own Shatter Me, the first one in the series, which is one of my comfort books.

The Wicked King by Holly Black

This is one of those covers that you can’t fully appreciate until you read the book. I thought this book was absolutely amazing, and that ending! What a shocker. You can read my full review here. I can’t wait for the next book The Queen of Nothing, which is coming out November 19, 2019.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

I don’t usually like real people on book covers, but I made an exception for this one. The beautiful dresses on the covers make up for it. Reading these books was like watching the Bachelorette on television; fun and entertaining, but not life changing. It definitely does keep you guessing until the end.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

This is one of my favorite stand alone books. The cover is unique and colorful, just like the story. I recently went to see the movie and I was very disappointed. I feel like the producers must not have read the book, and if they did, then they completely missed the message. For me this book was not only a love story, but a people story. A story depicting how we are all interconnected. How our actions, even the small ones, can shape and change the lives of others. Mostly, that we as individuals are not the center of the universe, and neither is the Sun.

What are some of your favorite book covers, and why?

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May Wrap-up

May 30, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

Book-haul

Did I go a bit book-buying happy this month? Yes, I definitely did. I’m going to blame it in part to Mother’s day. Also, trying to complete some of my favorite series that I don’t own yet and finding a sale on Amazon. Finally, the fact that I subscribed to three different book subscription boxes so I can compare them might also have something to do with the amount of books sitting on my bookshelf right now. But mostly, books make me happy 😊

On Mother’s day I got:

📖 Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

📖 Illuminae by Amie Kaufman

📖 Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

📖 Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

📖 To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

📖 A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (which I’m currently reading).

All of these I read samples of before I bought them, and they were all highly recommended by both my Bookstagram friends and my Goodreads friends.

I’m happy that I finally own all the Throne of Glass books by Sarah J. Maas, which was on my bookish bucket list. I also bought the first of the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi, which is one of my comfort books, and the second one of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor, which is another series I want to complete. All of these were on sale on Amazon for less than $8 and I could not resist.

I got We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal and Romanov by Nadine Brandes from my owlcrate and shelflovecrate boxes, along with some very nice book merchandize. I’m still waiting on my last box from faecrate so that I can do a comparison post for all three boxes.

Books I read

I actually made a small dent on my physical TBR this month which I’m very proud of. I read a hardback of Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller, and half paperback/half audio of One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake (I did a mini review of these yesterday). Unfortunately, these were a three and a two star read respectively, which was sad since I’ve had such good luck lately with my books. It was bound to happen I guess.

When it comes to e-books and audio books, I read/heard:

📖Legendary by Stephanie Garber (e-book) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare (e-book) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa (e-book/audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (e-book) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas (e-book/audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖The Sparrow by Denna M. Davis (e-arc) ⭐️⭐️

📖The Space Between Time by Charlie Laidlaw (e-arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I can’t wait to read what all my fellow book bloggers accomplished this month 😊

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Mini Reviews

May 29, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.” ~Synopsis from Goodreads

There are different kinds of fathers. Those who love unconditionally, those who love on condition, and those who never love at all.”
Riden

I found this adventure very entertaining. The banter between Alosa and Riden was fun to read. I quite enjoyed how full of herself Alosa was, she reminded me of Celaena from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. I docked a few stars because I found the story became a bit repetitive after a while. Also, I really disliked how Riden kept calling Alosa “lass” when he is only one year older than her. Overall, it was a good story but not life changing. I’m told the next one in the series is much better, Daughter of the Siren Queen, and I will definitely give that one a try.

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

⭐️⭐️

“The battle for the Crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other.” ~Synopsis from Goodreads

I really wanted to like this book. I started reading the actual paperback, and about four chapters in I couldn’t take how dry it was any longer so I stopped. A few weeks later I downloaded the audio book, and it was better but still not good enough. I kept telling myself it would get better, like the first book in the series which only got better towards the end, but it never did. I felt like the story was too slow at times and then too rushed in others. Honestly, the only reason I kept reading was because I love Arisinoe and I really wanted to see what happened to her. I don’t think I will continue with this series.

Have you guys read these? What did you think?

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WWW Wednesday

May 28, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

This is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where you answer three questions: What are you reading now? What did you just read? What will you be reading next?

What I just read

This past week I read Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas, and finally got done with Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. Both of those were great reads, so it makes sense that when I tried reading Wonder Woman: War Bringer also by Leigh Bardugo, it was a DNF for me 😦

Maybe I shouldn’t have read Catwoman before this one? Catwoman had good reasons for doing the things she did, and sometimes most of her choices were taken away from her. I just can’t see Wonder Woman choosing the life of one person over the lives of her people, and the overall wellbeing of the world just so she can go on a quest to prove herself? Nope. Okay rant over 🙂

What I’m reading now

I’m currently reading/listening to One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake, which is the second installment in the Three Dark Crowns series. Her writing is a bit dry sometimes and the audio book really helps.

I’m also reading The Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller, it’s a hardcover I acquired a while back and I’m finally getting to it. It starts right in the middle of the action as the main character’s ship is surrendering to enemy pirates and it’s great for now.

What I will be reading next

Definitely A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. Ever since I read the sample I’ve been really excited to dive into this one. Also, that gorgeous cover has been staring at me from the top of my bookshelf for a while now. I also might listen to the Sky in the Deep audio book by Adrienne Young, which is narrated by Khristine Hvam. It has been sitting on my Audible app since I used my free credit to download it.

What are your WWW’s?

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My Comfort Books

May 27, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

I’m sure we are all familiar with reading slumps. We have all been there at some point in our lives. For me, these usually happen when I’m feeling depressed or just relatively low. The first step for me is recognizing that I’m just in one of those moods, and also repeating to myself over and over that shopping on Amazon is not going to make it better 🙂 Then, like a child reaching for a favorite blanket, I go for my comfort books.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, and J.K. Rowling

I’m a big Harry Potter fan, but whenever I’m in one of these reading slumps it’s this screenplay that makes it better. Scorpius, Draco Malfoy’s son, makes my heart happy. He is just one of those characters. He is so full of light and laughter, and everything he says makes me smile. I also think the book has a really nice message.

People say parenting is the hardest job in the world -they’re wrong- growing up is. We all just forget how hard it was.”
Draco

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Poor Juliette, sometimes a character’s life has been so terrible and heartbreaking that it makes me feel better about mine. Nothing like the post apocalyptic Shatter Me series to make all my problems seem small and insignificant in comparison. Also, the writing is so poetic it’s almost hypnotic, and I find it very soothing.

I just read anything I could find. Fairy tales and mysteries and history and poetry. It didn’t matter what it was. I would read it over and over and over again. The books…they helped keep me from losing my mind all together…”
Juliette

I always know I’m at an all time low when I don’t even have the will to read, but these books always help get me out of it. I have both paperback copies and e-books, and I just read them over and over until I feel like reading something new.

What do you when you’re in a reading slump?

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Monday Cleaning Day

May 27, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

I’m so proud I’ve kept my TBR this week at a steady 64 books when it used to be more than 100. I’ve been adding only the first book of a series, because really if I haven’t read the first book in the series yet how do I know I will like the rest? Also, mostly all the books that have less than a four star rating are gone, unless something or someone convinces me to put them back on there. In case this is your first time reading my Monday post, I usually order my Goodreads TBR list in reverse chronological order, I skip the books I kept on other Mondays, and then I pick the first five books. I then decide whether to keep them on the list, or delete them.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (A Curse So Dark and Lonely, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

I actually read a sample of this book and loved it, so I bought a hard copy of it. You may have seen it on my Mother’s Day book haul post on my bookstagram. I can’t wait to read it since it seems to be a Beauty and the Beast re-telling and this is my favorite fairy tale of all time, except instead of the prince I always yearned for the giant Library.

Keep 🙂

Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1) by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

I’ve heard a lot of great thing about this one, and I hope it’s not one of those over-hyped books that end up being disappointing. I’ve never read a book by these authors, although the Illuminae Files have also been highly recommended and I recently bought the first one. I will keep this one until I read the Illuminae Files and then make a more educated decision.

Keep 🙂

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

I have a paperback copy of this book I really need to read. Everyone has recommended this to me. The reviews on Goodreads are a bit mixed when it comes to my friends, but the overall rating is a 4.26/5 stars which is great. I liked the sample I read, and I am interested in this unique story about a girl who lives her life mostly online and must choose to face the real world.

Keep 🙂

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1) by Amie Kaufman

I don’t know why I added this book after Aurora Rising and not the other way around, but I will definitely read this one before I read Aurora. This book comes highly recommended by all YA/Fantasy fans I’ve met, and I should really get to reading it soon.

Keep 🙂

Skyward (Skyward, #1) by Brandon Sanderson

A ship with a soul, a teenager who wants to be a pilot, and alien starfighters, all set in a post-apocalyptic world. Sign me up! This book has great reviews on Goodreads, an impressive 4.55/5 stars, and I can’t wait to read it.

Keep 🙂

I’m so happy I didn’t have to delete anything this time, and I am excited to dive into all of these books soon. Have you read any of these? What are your opinions on them?

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Top Five Additions to my TBR

May 25, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

It’s Saturday, and therefore I don’t have to worry about cleaning up my TBR until Monday 🙂 So here are my favorite latest additions to my never ending, ever changing TBR list.

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

Someone mentioned this on my bookstagram. Thank you to whoever it was, and sorry I don’t remember you. To those of you who don’t have a bookstagram your TBR probably thanks you as well. It is so hard not to add all these books to my list after seeing people talk about them and how much they loved them, and looking at all the pretty pictures they post. Anyways, back to the book. I love fairy tale retellings, and with the new Aladdin movie coming out I couldn’t help myself. It has great reviews on Goodreads. Also, look at that awesome cover!

Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #1) by Mark Lawrence

This one was recommended by a friend from work who is also into Fantasy/ Sci-fi books. It also has good reviews on Goodreads, and it is part of a series. I love stories with strong female characters and this seems to be one of those.

Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern, #1) by Anne McCaffrey

I’ve found myself in a bit of a dragon withdrawal phase ever since Game of Thrones ended. I haven’t read a good dragon book since the Eragon series by Phillip Pullman more than six years ago. Also, I’m waiting for George R.R. Martin to finish writing the series before I even attempt to read it. This book promises to scratch my dragon itch. It is pretty old, but it has great reviews on Goodreads and it was recommended by a friend who has similar tastes in books.

Cinder and the Prince of Midnight by Susan Ee

Susan Ee is the author of Peryn & The End of Days series. I loved this series, and I cannot wait to read another book by this author. This new book seems to be a Cinderella fairy tale re-telling which is another plus, as I mentioned above I love these. It releases soon on June 3, 2019.

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

I recently had an audio book credit on my Audible App, and I decided to spend it on this book. It had good reviews, and I learned from my mistakes and listened to a sample of it before purchasing to see if the narrator’s voice would annoy me. It seems like a great book with a strong female character, and I can’t wait to listen further.

Have you guys read any of these? Would you recommend them?