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Priority TBR List

June 7, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

Recently I did some major TBR cleanup on my Goodreads where I made a Priority TBR list. On this list I have my “physical” TBR books, these are the hardbacks and paperbacks I actually own but have not read. I also have the e-books I own but have not read; which I usually only read from the library, but every once in a while there is a sale on Amazon from .99 cents to $1.99 that I will take advantage of. This is also where I put any ARCs that I need to review soon. Lastly, I also add what I’m currently reading on here.

This is my Priority TBR List as it stands right now:

Lifelike by Jay Kristoff

This is an e-book I bought on an Amazon sale for $1.99. I have yet to read any of Kristoff’s books, but I have heard wonderful things about them. I read the sample, and the relationship between the main character and her robot really hooked me, because it reminds me of Cinder and Iko from the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.

Vicious (Villains, #1) by V.E. Schwab

This is one of my current reads. I had never read a V.E. Schwab book, and it was recommended by one of her fans from bookstagram to read this one first. I am loving it for now. I love the characters, the story seems unique, and the writing style is amazing.

We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya, #1) by Hafsah Faizal

This one arrived inside my Owlcrate subscription box. This was the first box I subscribed to and I was really happy with the contents. I also received another copy inside my Shelflovecrate subscription box. I will be doing a subscription box comparison as soon as I get my last May box which seems to be running late. I hope this book lives up to the hype.

Romanov by Nadine Brandes

I always loved Anastasia, and this books I about her so I’m really looking forward to reading it. This is a special dark blue with gold accents copy that came inside my Owlcrate box.

This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1)

This one is an audio book which recently became available to be checked out from the Library. Since I just got done with The Raven Boys audio, I decided to listen to this one. I always need an audio book to listen to during my work commute. For now, this sounds like a very unique world and I can’t wait to keep listening.

Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha, #1) by Tomi Adeyemi

This is a hardback I bought on Mother’s day and I have yet to get to it. I read the sample and reviews before buying it and they were all great. I can’t wait to see for myself.

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This will definitely be the next hardback I read. It looks like such a unique book. I have seen great reviews on this one, and I feel like I need to read it before someone spoils it by mistake, and definitely before I read any of their other books.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

This is a paperback I bought on Mother’s day on my Barnes and Noble splurge. It has glowing reviews from all my like-minded reviewers on Goodreads and absolutely everyone has recommended it.

Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #1) by Leigh Bardugo

I really would like to know where Bardugo gets her story ideas from. These worlds are so immersive and the characters so real. This is one of my current reads and I’m definitely loving it. The only problem is that it might derail me from my priority list because it’s a series and I’m sure I’m going to want to dive into the next one as soon as I’m done with this one.

To Best The Boys by Mary Weber

This is another hardback that I hope lives up to my expectations. I love stories in which girls disguise themselves as boys and still best them at everything. Reminds me of Mulan. The cover is also gorgeous.

I really hope this tactic will help me keep my TBR priorities straight. I’ve been trying my best to keep to it and not stray into other books, especially my physical TBR I really need to read those.

What do you do when it comes to your TBR? How do you decide what to read next?

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Bookish Bucket List

June 6, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

Recap of Last Week:

Last week I added: read Wuthering Heights, visit Paris, France, and own the Blood of Eden series to my list.

This week:

Go to BookCon

I was so sad I missed BookCon this year. It looked like a lot of fun and I have never been to one. It feels like something I would really enjoy. I need to gather a few of my bookworms friends and we need to plan a visit to one of these. Maybe next year.

Own the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor

I really loved all these books. I think her writing is close to hypnotic, but so realistic at the same time. Even though this world is full of magic, I felt like any day I could just encounter one of these doors and step into it myself.

Have dinner inside the Beauty and the Beast castle at Disney World

I have been to Disney World many times. It might sound cliché, but to me it is the happiest place on Earth. The scenery, the music, and the characters are all presented with great care and attention to detail. Even the employees are very well trained, and one of their main jobs is to make you smile. Even though I have been there many times, I have never dined inside the Beauty and the Beast castle, mostly because it’s so hard to get a reservation. Having just read A Curse do Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer made me a bit nostalgic for Beauty and the Beast. Now I want to go to the castle and “Be their Guest.”

Item marked off:

I finally own all the Throne of Glass books! Sure, some of them are hardback and some are paperback, but don’t judge me 🙂

What are some book related things you wish to do?

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A Curse so Dark and Lonely

June 5, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was never a curse to be broken. This was a death sentence. The true curse has been the thought that we might find escape.”
rhen

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Publication date: January 29, 2019

Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s pulled into a magical world. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

Plot:

I found the plot to be fast paced and gripping, but without feeling too rushed. I’ve read a lot of fairy tale retellings, and this one was different enough to be entertaining yet it still kept many of the familiar concepts I associate with Beauty and the Beast. It included the beast (of course), a girl taken against her will, and an enchanted castle. I also thought the romance aspect of the story was very realistic, especially the fact that at a young age it’s hard to identify what love feels like.

The choices we face may not be the choices we want, but they are choices nonetheless.”
rhen

Characters:

Harper is the only character I have come across in the YA/Fantasy genre who suffers from cerebral palsy. She was strong and ferocious and did not let her disability hinder her in any way. She was also loyal, and so brave, albeit sometimes bordering on reckless.

Rhen, was a bit self-centered, but Harper helped him come out of his bubble of misery and made him understand that he was not the only one suffering. His people were suffering too, and he had the means to help them. I felt like Rhen’s character wasn’t as fully developed as Harper’s, and we were missing a lot of his background. I understand it was painful for him to talk about his past, but we needed a bit more to make him real.

Lastly, I want to talk about the villains. The enchantress, Lilith was scary, but not as scary as that queen from the other neighboring kingdom Karis Luran. I thought the fact that she was totally fine with burning innocent women and children alive was a lot more terrifying than the torture Lilith was willing to impart on our characters.

I’m always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”
freya

The World building:

The world is called Emberfall, but apart from the castle, an Inn, and the surrounding woods we don’t get to see a whole lot of it. The castle is where the characters spend most of the their time and the author does a great job describing it in great detail. I just wish it had a giant Library 🙂

We also get a nice rendering of the bad neighbohood in Washington D.C where Harper is from, and her dingy apartment.

Overall:

This is a story about loyalty, bravery, and what it means to truly love someone. It was beautiful and enchanting. I would recommend it to all Fantasy readers and fairy tale lovers. I read it in two sittings because I could not put it down. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series “A Heart so Fierce and Broken” which will be out January 7, 2020.

Have you guys read this one? What did you think?

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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?