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My Life in Books Tag

I saw this book tag over on Eleanor Sophie’s blog, and I thought it looked super fun. Thanks for doing this Ellie! If you are not currently following her you should, her blog is amazing. If you are reading this then consider yourself tagged. Looking forward to reading your answers.

deviate book by jay kristoff lifelike book two
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Find a book for each of your initials:

D -Deviate by Jay Kristoff –read my review

E – Edge of Oblivion by J.T. Geissinger

E – End of Days by Susan Ee

the boyfriend project by farrah rochon book
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Count your age along your bookshelf:

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon. You can read my review for this one here.

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Pick a book set in your city or country:

A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith. This book is set in Florida, and it’s one of those that they made me read in College, but I ended up actually enjoying it.

infernal devices series by cassandra clare
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Pick a book that is set in a destination you would love to travel to:

I would love to travel to England. Many of my favorite books are set in England, including Harry Potter, but I would have to pick The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. I fell in love with the way she describes the gray sky, the near constant rain, and all the landmarks. I would love to visit the bridge that Tessa and James chose to meet at. Clare has posted pictures of people who still travel there and leave notes.

kingdom of ash by sarah j maas book seven in throne of glass series
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Pick a book that has your favorite color on it:

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7) by Sarah J. Maas. I almost cried when I saw this cover announced. Empire of Storms was such a bad cliff hanger and I had waited almost two years for this last one to be released. I was so excited that it was yellow 🙂

harry potter and the cursed child book by j
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Which book do you have the fondest memories of?

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling. I found this book when I was in a really bad reading slump and super depressed. This book took me out of that dark hole, and I attribute it all to Scorpius (Draco Malfoy’s son in the book), his character makes my heart happy.

under the dome book by stephen king
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Which book did you have the most difficulty reading?

Under the Dome by Stephen King. I lost count of how many times I put this book down and then picked it back up, sometimes months later. It is a massive 1,074 pages, and it covers some very difficult topics such as very descriptive rape scenes. King does not hold anything back and I love his writing, but a lot of these scenes were very uncomfortable to get through.

the lightning thief by rick riordan book
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Which book on your TBR pile will give you the most achievement when you finish it?

I’m going to go with the whole Peter Jackson series for this one. This is a series I’ve been meaning to read for a while, and I will feel a great sense of accomplishment when I finally get to it.

Disclaimer: All opinions on this blog are my own. If you are interested in purchasing any of these books, please consider using my Amazon affiliate link by clicking on the pictures and/or links and I will receive a small fee, but your book will still cost the same.

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Most Anticipated 2020 Releases

Pictures from Goodreads.

I cannot believe June is over already. My birthday month just flew by! This has been a crazy year. I’ve found that reading has been a great form of escape, and this blog has been a great way to express myself. Thank you all for reading and following me!

I decided I needed to talk about my most anticipated releases for the next half of 2020, because the list is getting a bit lengthy and I am bursting with impatience. Some of these I’ll have to wait until the end of the year for, and some are much closer. If the book is part of a series, then I only provided a synopsis for the first book in the series, because I did not want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read them.

What are your most anticipated 2020 releases? Let me know in the comments!

Truelife (Lifelike, #3) by Jay Kristoff

truelife by jay kristoff lifelike #3
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This one will be released today June 30, 2020, and I’m super excited I won a copy from a Giveaway on Instagram. I love everything Kristoff writes, and I hope this won’t be the last series we see from him. Deviate had a terrible cliff hanger, so I’m excited to see how he ends this series. You can read my review of Lifelike here, and Deviate here.

Here is a Synopsis of Lifelike, the first book in the series from Goodreads:

On a floating junkyard beneath a radiation sky, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap.

Eve isn’t looking for secrets—she’s too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she’s just spent six months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, and the only thing keeping her Grandpa from the grave was the fistful of credits she just lost to the bookies. To top it off, she’s discovered she can destroy electronics with the power of her mind, and the puritanical Brotherhood are building a coffin her size. If she’s ever had a worse day, Eve can’t remember it.

But when Eve discovers the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic conscience, Cricket, in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, infiltrate towering megacities and scour the graveyard of humanity’s greatest folly to save the ones Eve loves, and learn the dark secrets of her past.

Even if those secrets were better off staying buried.

Blood and Honey (Serpent and Dove, #2) by Shelby Mahurin

blood and honey serpent and dove #2 by Shelby mahurin
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Look at that gorgeous cover! This one will be out on September 1, 2020. I’m very excited to learn more about our side characters Ansel and Coco from Serpent and Dove, click on the link to read my review for the first book.

Here is a Synopsis of the first book from Goodreads:

Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.

The Lost Book of the White (The Eldest Curses, #2) by Cassandra Clare

the lost book of the white by cassandra clare the eldest curses #2
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I love the Shadowhunters, but I love me some Magnus Bane even more. The best thing Clare ever did was start this series where Magnus is one of the main characters. This second book will be published September 1, 2020. Here is my review of The Red Scrolls of Magic, #1.

Here is a synopsis of the first book from Goodreads:

All Magnus Bane wanted was a vacation—a lavish trip across Europe with Alec Lightwood, the Shadowhunter who against all odds is finally his boyfriend. But as soon as the pair settles in Paris, an old friend arrives with news about a demon-worshipping cult called the Crimson Hand that is bent on causing chaos around the world. A cult that was apparently founded by Magnus himself. Years ago. As a joke.

Now Magnus and Alec must race across Europe to track down the Crimson Hand and its elusive new leader before the cult can cause any more damage. As if it wasn’t bad enough that their romantic getaway has been sidetracked, demons are now dogging their every step, and it is becoming harder to tell friend from foe. As their quest for answers becomes increasingly dire, Magnus and Alec will have to trust each other more than ever—even if it means revealing the secrets they’ve both been keeping.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

to sleep in a sea of stars
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I love the Eragon series by Christopher Paolini, and he hasn’t written anything since then. I am very intrigued about this new book of his. It’s a hefty one, 800 pages. The cover is amazing and the synopsis looks very interesting. It will be published on September 15, 2020.

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

It was supposed to be a routine research mission on an uncolonized planet. But when xenobiologist Kira Navárez finds an alien relic beneath the surface of the world, the outcome transforms her forever and will alter the course of human history.

Her journey to discover the truth about the alien civilization will thrust her into the wonders and nightmares of first contact, epic space battles for the fate of humankind, and the farthest reaches of the galaxy.

Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer

instant karma by marissa meyer
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Marissa Meyer hasn’t written anything else since she finished The Renegades series, and The Lunar Chronicles, which as you all know is one of my favorite series of all time. This is going to be Contemporary Romance, and I’m very excited to see where she goes with this story. The premise sounds interesting to say the least. This one will be released on November 2, 2020.

Here is a synopsis from Goodreads:

Chronic overachiever Prudence Daniels is always quick to cast judgment on the lazy, rude, and arrogant residents of her coastal town. Her dreams of karmic justice are fulfilled when, after a night out with her friends, she wakes up with the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her. Pru giddily makes use of the power, punishing everyone from public vandals to karaoke hecklers, but there is one person on whom her powers consistently backfire: Quint Erickson, her slacker of a lab partner and all-around mortal enemy. Soon, Pru begins to uncover truths about Quint, her peers, and even herself that reveal how thin the line is between virtue and vanity, generosity and greed . . . love and hate.

A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes, #4) by Sabaa Tahir

a sky beyond the storm an ember in the ashes #4 by sabaa tahir
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The last book in this series, A Reaper at the Gates, completely tore me apart. I hadn’t started my blog yet so there is no review on here for it. But even if I had, I don’t think I could’ve gotten my thoughts in order for a coherent review. I know Tahir has received a lot of bad reviews for it, but in my opinion any book that makes me feel so many emotions, even IF these emotions were anger and frustration, is a book worth reading. I can’t wait to see how she ends the series. I’ve seen her evil tweets, saying how many characters she is going to kill and how they will suffer, and I’m anxious. This one will publish all the way at the end of the year on December 1, 2020.

Here is a synopsis of the first book in the series:

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
 
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
 
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
 
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
 
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Disclaimer: All opinions on this blog are my own. If you are interested in purchasing any of these books, please consider using my Amazon affiliate link by clicking on the pictures and/or links and I will receive a small fee, but your book will still cost the same.

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Beauty and the Beast Book Tag

I love fairy tales, and I am a big Disney fan. Which is your favorite Disney movie? Let me know in the comments! My favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast, so needless to say I was super excited when I found this book tag in Raji’s blog: Worlds Unlike Our Own Blog. Thanks for tagging me Raji! Anyone who is reading this can consider themselves tagged. Moving on to the questions.

a court of thorns and roses by sarah j maas
Picture taken by me. Follow me on Instagram.

“Tale As Old As Time” -A popular theme, trope, or setting you will never get bored of reading

Fairy tale retellings and enemies to lovers trope. This is why I’m such a big ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses) fan. ACOTAR is both a Beauty and the Beast retelling and an enemies to lovers trope. I love when two people who used to hate each other are forced to co-exist, and after they give each other a chance they can find common ground and eventually friendship and love. Other books like this one I enjoyed: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, and the Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi, to name a few.

the house in the cerulean sea by tj klune taken by @deesreadingtree
Picture taken by me.

“Belle” -A book you bought for its beautiful cover that was just as beautiful on the inside too

I don’t usually judge a book by its cover (no pun intended). I did recently buy The House in the Cerulean Sea on a whim because it was so beautiful and it has such glowing reviews on Instagram. Best impulsive buy ever! You can go read my review and see everything I loved about it.

House of salt and sorrows by erin a. craig picture taken by @deesreadingtree
Picture taken by me.

“Gaston” -A book everyone loves that you don’t

Everyone seems to have loved House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, and I just thought it was an okay read. I have learned my lesson since then that I just don’t enjoy ghost stories. It took me forever to get through that book since I found it super boring. There was a lot of poetic prose and descriptive setting, but not a lot of action going on. You can read my review here.

Cress (the lunar chronicles, #1) by marissa meyer picture taken by @deesreadingtree
Picture taken by me.

“Lefou” -A loyal sidekick you can’t help but love more than their counterpart

Definitely Iko from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I liked Cinder, but Iko was the best. She had the best personality and was such a good friend to Cinder, never mind that she was a robot. I think this is why Marissa Meyer also wrote a whole comic series with Iko as the protagonist called Wires and Nerve.

harry potter series by j.k. rowling instagram picture taken by @deesreadingtree
Picture taken by me.

“Mrs. Potts, Chip, Lumiere, and Cogsworth” -A book that helped you through a difficult time or taught you something valuable

I came to the U.S when I was eleven years old. It would take a lot more words than I have time or energy for right now in order to fully explain what it felt like to leave everything and mostly everyone I knew behind, and embark on a journey to a completely new place where no one spoke my language. My happiest memory from that time was getting my very own library card. The first book I read was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, in Spanish. By the third book, I was reading in English. Harry Potter helped me escape out of my roach infested apartment, which my family shared with other distant relatives of ours, to Hogwarts and a world of magic and adventure. Oh, how I wanted that Hogwarts letter to arrive! I still read the Harry Potter series when I need a pick-me-up or when I’ve landed into a reading slump.

Scythe (arc of a scythe, #1) by neal shusterman picture taken by @deesreadingtree
Picture taken by me.

“Something there” -A book or series you weren’t into at first but picked up towards the end

I recently started the Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, #1) series by Neal Shusterman, and I loved it. I had picked it up a couple of times, but I guess I wasn’t in the right mood. I can’t wait to continue on with the series and see where the author goes with it. You can read my review here.

Disclaimer: All opinions on this blog are my own. If you are interested in purchasing any of these books, please consider using my Amazon affiliate link by clicking on the pictures and/or links and I will receive a small fee, but your book will still cost the same.

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Waiting On A Sequel

king of scars by leigh bardugo a court of thorns and roses by sarah j maas six of crows by leigh bardugo chain of gold by Cassandra clare
Pictures from Goodreads.

I’ve been waiting on all these sequels for a while. Some of them have a release date, some of them don’t even have one yet. All I know is these authors need to get to writing, I’m getting super impatient. But I do understand writing is a hard process and it takes time to make a masterpiece that can top, or at least compare to, the first books in these series.

What are some of your most anticipated sequels? Let me know in the comments so I can add some to my TBR 🙂

King of Scars (Nikolai Duology, #2) and Six of Crows, #3 by Leigh Bardugo

Buy on Amazon. Picture from Goodreads

I’ve been patiently waiting for these sequels to be written and released. I understand Leigh Bardugo has been working on a Netflix series for her Grishaverse books, and I cannot wait to see how that turns out! But I really need the sequel to King of Scars and the third book for Six of Crows, now! Also, I really hope Netflix doesn’t mess the Grishas up for me, because it’s one of my favorite fantasy worlds. So far from what I’ve seen Bardugo post on Twitter, it looks like she is happy with how it’s all been coming along. I hope she gets back to writing soon though. I love Nikolai and I love the Crows, so I can’t wait to read more about them!

Chain of Iron (The Last Hours, #2) by Cassandra Clare

chain of gold the last hours series by cassandra clare
Buy on Amazon. Picture from Goodreads

There has recently been some progress for this one. Cassandra Clare announced on her Instagram that the cover for the second book will be released July 1st. This first cover was gorgeous, and I can’t wait to see what they do for the second one. I’m really hoping it’s James Herondale on the cover this time. You can read my review for the first one here.

A Court of Thorns and Roses (#4) by Sarah J. Maas

a court of thorns and roses by sarah j maas
Buy on Amazon. Picture from Goodreads

There’s actually a release date for this one now! January 26, 2021 🙂 There’s been a lot of speculation that this one will be about Nesta and Cassian, and I’m super excited about it. Cassian is one of my favorite characters, and I really hope Nesta doesn’t completely shred him to pieces. There isn’t a synopsis out yet for this one.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is dividersupersmall.jpg

Disclaimer: All opinions on this blog are my own. If you are interested in purchasing any of these books, please consider using my Amazon affiliate link by clicking on the pictures and/or links and I will receive a small fee, but your book will still cost the same.

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My Favorite Half-Night Stand

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

my favorite half-night stand book by christina lauren
Picture taken by me. Buy on Amazon.

For fans of: Romantic comedies, friends to lovers trope, roosters (inside book joke)

Author: Christina Lauren

Published: December 4, 2018

ISBN: 1501197401

Pages: 384

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, and all opinions are my own. If you are interested in purchasing this book, please consider using my Amazon affiliate link (by clicking on the top or bottom pictures) and helping a fellow book blogger out 🙂

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Millie and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship…but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.

My Review:

This was another laugh-out-loud book from Christina Lauren. I really enjoyed the romance between Millie and Reid, mostly because I am a big fan of the friends to lovers trope. I liked how the authors explored the new online dating trends and explained the different websites available. It was interesting how they included group chat conversations, texts, and emails between Millie and her friends, which helped to show how friendships have evolved along with modern technology.

I liked that Millie was a strong woman leading a successful career in a field she had been passionate about her whole life. The authors delved into the nuances of finding the right man for a woman who knows exactly what she wants, but might not be ready to open herself up completely. I would have liked a bit more emphasis on the hardships of being a successful woman in a man’s world. Also, there is always that part in a Christina Lauren book when I start screaming at the characters to “just talk to each other already!”

As always, there was a very important emphasis on friendship and family, and being there for those who love us and need us. I enjoyed the relationship between Reid and his family, and I really liked his mom (her cooking sounded delicious). Seeing their close family bond pushed Millie to try to mend her own relationship with her sister and father. I highly recommend this one to all Romance fans for a light hilarious read.