I received a copy of this book inside my Illumini crate this month. It sounds like a very intriguing read, and it has great reviews on Goodreads. I have been getting more and more into Contemporary/ YA. I hope this won’t disappoint.
Keep 🙂
Picture from Goodreads
This time will be different by Misa Sugiura
This is the second book I found inside my Illumini crate this month. There are mixed reviews on this one, but since I now own the book I will definitely be giving it a try.
Keep 🙂
Picture from Goodreads
The Paper and Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie
I got a sample of this inside my Illumini crate and I loved it, so I will definitely be reading the actual book.
Keep 🙂
Picture from Goodreads
False Step by Victoria Helen Stone
This was one of the Kindle first reads picks for June. I thought the synopsis seemed interesting. It published on July 1st. If you read it let me know how it goes, I could not find a lot of reviews on it.
Keep 🙂
Picture from Goodreads
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Once again I got fooled by a pretty cover and did not think much before I added it to my TBR. I’m not the least bit interested in Norse Mythology, but I will definitely recommend it to my husband. He’s the one that dragged me to all the Thor movies 🙂
Delete 😦
Picture from Goodreads
A Man called Ove by Fredrik Backman
I don’t know why I added this. I know everyone has been talking about it and it has great reviews, but I just don’t feel like reading about a grumpy old man.
Delete 😦
Picture from Goodreads
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
I really want to learn more about the Philippines and their culture, and I ‘ve heard this is a good book for that. The cover is not the best, but it has great reviews on Goodreads and as I mentioned on this post, I’m trying not to judge books by their covers.
Keep 🙂
Picture from Goodreads
Secondborn by Amy A. Bartol
Amazon recently gave me a three dollar credit to pick a book from a list of their choosing. I was dumb and I didn’t check the reviews before picking this one, I picked it because the synopsis sounded good. Now that I own it I definitely have to give it a try. But if I don’t like it I can always put it back down, I wont be forcing myself to read books I don’t enjoy.
Keep 🙂
Can you guys believe I just got to the end of my TBR list?! *audible gasp* I have been so good not adding random books, I will go ahead and pat myself on the back now 🙂
This book was amazing. I was contacted by the author with the opportunity to read an e-ARC of his book, and I accepted expecting a light quick read. This was not a light read at all, it was full of depth and it dealt with really hard but relevant topics. You can read my full review here.
I thought this cover should’ve had a starry night in the background with some planets on there and maybe a few mathematical equations floating in between. This cover definitely would not have attracted me to the book in the first place.
Picture from Goodreads
This Savage Songby Victoria Schwab
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book I experienced as an audio book. It was voiced by a male and female voice for the two main characters, and I thought they did a great job. This was a very unique world that I’m very interested to read more of. You can read my full review here.
I like the violin on the cover, but for a very long time I could not even tell it WAS a violin. I get what they were trying to do, but the violin definitely needs to be brighter so we can see what they’re trying to depict inside of it.
A Very Large Expanse of the Seaby Tahereh Mafi
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I mentioned in my review that I thought the whole point of this cover was “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” which is one of the main messages I feel like this story tries to get across. But more could’ve been done to get this point across and to attract more people to buy the book. For me it was enough that Mafi wrote it, because I will forever read anything she writes, but for other people that might not be the case.
Picture from Goodreads
The Eternity Cureby Julie Kagawa
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ve mentioned before that Julie Kagawa is one of my favorite authors, and this is one of my favorite series by her. I already love Dystopian novels, but her descriptions, dialogue, and overall way of making this world seem so real is what sold me on this story. This cover definitely does not do it justice.
Picture from Goodreads
The Time Traveler’s Wifeby Audrey Niffenegger
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I absolutely loved this book and I thought it was so unique in the way it portrayed time travel; not as something cool but as a burden to be bared. But it definitely needed to have something better on the cover, the child is kind of creepy. I will definitely be doing a re-read of this soon.
Which books do you think could have gone unnoticed because of the cover? Any recommendations?
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? I find this a great way to touch base every week, and to get on the right reading track.
Picture from Goodreads
What I’m reading now:
I couldn’t believe it when I got an e-ARC of The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young from Netgalley. I will forever read anything she writes. I’m also finally reading Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman, which I’ve only been looking forward to forever.
I just read Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, which wasn’t as action packed as Six of Crows or Crooked Kingdom, but I do understand a lot of world building was necessary. I also listened to an audio of Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, which also reminded me a lot of Six of Crows, a band of misfits full of special and unique talents. You can read my mini reviews for those here. Finally, I read an e-ARC of Call it What you Want by Brigid Kemmerer, she has also quickly become one of my auto-read authors.
I hope to finally get to Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, and hopefully start making a good dent on my physical TBR. The e-books and audio books I pick up next will depend on what’s available to be checked out on Libby, and if I get approved for any e-ARCs from Netgalley. I don’t usually buy e-books or audio books, unless I have free credits on the Audible app, or a good book is available for free on kindle first reads. If you have the kindle app and have not signed up for kindle first reads I highly recommend it -it’s free and they let you choose a free book every month from a list.
The problem with wanting…is that it makes us weak”
The Darkling
Since this book is part of a trilogy there was a lot of world building that I really appreciated. This was the difference between this book and the Six of Crows books. There was a lot more explaining in this one about the different Grisha and what their powers entailed. We as the readers got to learn it all right along with Alina. By the way, I loved Alina. She was a very strong likeable female character who said whatever was on her mind most of the time which was great. She reminds me of a prickly easily riled cat.
I also had a thing for the Darkling, he reminds me a lot of Kaz Brekker from the Six of Crows books. One of my favorite side characters was Botkin, the combat trainer, he was hilarious: “Should not hit girl in the face when she is going to party…Botkin will be fairer tomorrow.”
This was one of those books where I did not understand what the cover meant until I read it, I don’t come across those very often. Sometimes I had trouble believing this world wasn’t real, especially during the scary parts in the Fold. I’m pretty sure Bardugo travels to alternate universes and then comes back to write about them.
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff-Audio Mini Review
The whole place seems like it’s being held together by spit and good luck.”
aurora rising
This was such a great audio book. The full cast really made the difference for me, and I always wonder why more audio books don’t do this. This book had seven different points of views, and each one is voiced by a different person. There are sound effects in the audio book which really makes the whole story come alive, and it becomes almost like listening to a really good descriptive movie.
I loved the humor throughout this book and the play on words. I did roll my eyes sometimes at some of the dialogue and internal dialogue, which is why I took off one star. A few of the characters were full of themselves, but I thought that it made them very entertaining if maybe a bit annoying at times. Tyler reminded me of Captain Thorne from Cinder, except with killer dimples.
The plot is action packed as the characters are thrown from one predicament into another. I really loved this unique group of characters, they reminded me of the gang from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, a bunch of misfits who have really special talents.
📖Rest of Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi (excluding last book released)
📖Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
From book subscription boxes (TBR)
📖 Birthday by Meredith Russo
📖This time will be different by Misa Sugiura
Bought
📖The book of dust by Phillip Pullman
E-books (from kindle first reads)
📖False step by Victoria Helen Stone
Wrap-up
I don’t feel like I made good progress on my TBR this month, maybe because I barely read any physical books; they were mostly audio and e-books. But I do feel like a read good quality books, so maybe quality over quantity is a good thing. I definitely want to get to more of my real books in July. Especially Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. After having read Aurora Rising by them I’m really excited to read the Illuminae series.
I saw this tag on the For Book s’ Sake page and it looked like so much fun. So without anything further here are the questions and my answers.
E-book or physical Book?
Here is the thing, there’s nothing like holding a physical book in my hands, being able to turn the pages and seeing how far I’ve come, and the smell of a book is one of my favorite scents. BUT, I do have two kids under four and it’s much easier for me to read an e-book while I watch them than to read a real book.
Paperback or hardback?
This is a hard one. Paperbacks are so much easier for me to hold and carry around everywhere. Hardbacks are so pretty and look much better on my shelves. I always have to remove the dust cover so that I don’t damage it while I take it everywhere, and then when I’m done with the book I put the dust cover back on and put it on my shelf. If I really had to choose, I think I would choose paperbacks.
Mother’s Day bookhaul
Online or in-store book shopping?
Books are so much cheaper online, but there’s nothing like walking through a bookstore for me. It’s actually one of my favorite things to do in the world. This year for mother’s day that was actually my only wish, going to the bookstore. My husband was such a trooper, he handled the kids while I spent some uninterrupted time browsing for books. As you can see on this picture, I really spoiled myself.
Trilogies or series?
As long as the book is good, I don’t really care if it’s a trilogy or a series. As long as I like the author and the story still holds my interest I will read all the books they write, even if it’s an 18 book long one (Black Dagger Brotherhood anyone?).
Heroes or villains?
Heroes all the way. Give me heroes I can root for the whole time. Once I start liking the villains and wishing they would kill the hero already, that’s when I know I’m hating the book.
Hands down the Harry Potter series. I could read those books over and over. I’m in love with that whole world, and I always hope I can pass my love on to others. You can read all about how I grew up with this series here.
Recommend an underrated author?
Is Julie Kagawa considered underrated? I’m not sure, but her Immortal Rules series was one of the best I’ve read and I never see it talked about anywhere. You all already know I loved her Shadow of the Fox and Soul of the Sword books.
The last book you finished?
Call it What you Want by Brigid Kemmerer. It was a four star out of five for me, and you can read my review here.
Weirdest thing you’ve used as a bookmark?
*Cringes* …a banana? Okay, hear me out. I was really busy at work multi-tasking, I was reading and eating, and then I got a phone call…so what do I do? I stick my banana in my book to hold my page. Don’t judge me.
Used books: Yes or no?
I love all books, definitely yes. I like imagining where the book has been and how many people have read it. I don’t sniff them like I do new books, but still used books are great.
Top 3 favorite genres?
Fantasy, YA, and does New Adult count? I occasionally delve into Contemporary, but I really try to avoid it because it makes me cry.
Borrow or buy?
I try not to borrow books, when I do I warn the owners that it might not come back in the same condition. Like I said, I have two kids. I love buying books. My bank account not so much though.
Character or plot?
Plot. If the plot goes downhill, then it doesn’t matter how good your characters are. For example, I really loved the Divergent series, an I loved the characters, but once the plot started slipping I hated the whole thing. Also, I hate bad endings.
Long or short books?
Size doesn’t matter! Okay, but for real if you can tell me everything you need to tell me, if the characters are well developed, and so is the plot, then I don’t really care what the size of the book is.
Throne of Glass (#7)
Name the first three books you think of?
Throne of Glass
Lunar Chronicles
Shatter Me
Three of my favorites 🙂
Books that make you laugh or books that make you cry?
I hate crying, I love books that make me laugh. I’m currently listening to an audio of Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff, and I love the humor they use.
Picture taken by Me
Our world or fictional worlds?
Depends on the world. I would love to live in the Harry Potter world, but would not like to live in the post Apocalyptic Shatter Me world.
Audiobooks: Yes or no?
A month ago this would’ve been a no, but recently I have developed a liking for audio books. I only listen to them on my work commute, in the shower, and while I’m doing chores around the house. It has been a good way for me to stay productive. I always listen to a sample first before I get the book though, because if I don’t like the narrator’s voice then the whole thing is ruined.
Do you ever judge a book by its cover?
Too many times to count, although I have learned from my mistakes. I now read the reviews and usually a sample before I commit to buying a book now. I’m a sucker for pretty covers, and thanks to Bookstagram my TBR is full them.
Picture form Goodreads
Book to movie or book to TV adaptation?
It depends on the book? I recently was so disappointed by the Game of Thrones TV show 😦 But I did love most of the Harry Potter movies, they really made the whole world come alive with only a few minor flaws and omissions.
A movie or TV adaptation you preferred instead of the book?
None, I always like the book better.
Series or stand alone?
I like series. Stand alone books always leave me feeling empty and with no purpose after. At least with a series I can delay that feeling until the last book 🙂
Lately, I’ve been adding every pretty cover I see on Bookstagram to my TBR, I really need to stop. Thank goodness for Mondays where I get to clean this mess up. I ordered my Goodreads TBR in reverse chronological order as usual, and this time I took a look at the first ten books and decided to keep or delete them.
Picture from Goodreads
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Senz
I don’t know why I love this cover so much. There’s something about the open field, and maybe the fact that I have a thing for beat up old trucks? This book has awesome reviews from everyone on my Goodreads, it’s actually a rare 4.35/ 5, and it has 188,441 ratings.
Keep
Picture from Goodreads
A Shifting of Stars by Kathy Kimbray
This one was a fairly recent release, it was published May 28, 2019. It has good reviews for now. It says it’s perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes, Red Queen, and Shadow and Bone. I loved An Ember in the Ashes, did not care for Red Queen, and Shadow and Bone is on my physical TBR, so I think this one is a keeper for now.
Keep 🙂
Picture from Goodreads
Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian
This seems a lot like Throne of Glass, and a lot of the reviews are saying the same thing. Girl loses kingdom, then wants to regain it with the help of a boy, and there’s of course a love triangle involved somewhere in there. Not interested. Pretty cover though. I must stop adding books for their covers! *smashes head against table*
Delete 😦
Picture from Goodreads
Air Awakens by Elise Kova
It definitely was not the cover that made me add this book to my TBR. I think it was a glowing review on Bookstagram, I’m not sure. Upon further investigation, it has mixed reviews on Goodreads, with some people calling it a bit cliché. I think maybe this is not for me.
Delete 😦
Picture from Goodreads
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
You had me at magical library. This looks like a very unique story. It has great reviews on Goodreads even though it’s a fairly new release. I just hope this is just not an overly hyped book.
Keep 🙂
Picture from Goodreads
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
This cover is amazing! The book has a few mixed reviews from Goodreads, but I think I will risk it and keep it.
Keep 🙂
Picture from Goodreads
The Diviners by Libba Bray
I thought this would be a good murder/mystery book when I first added it, sometimes I’m in the mood for those. But according to some of the reviews on Goodreads this seems to turn into something unexpected, and religion and spirituality end up playing a very big role. This is going to be no for me.
Delete 😦
Picture from Goodreads
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
I love fairy tale retellings, and this seems like a good twist on Snow White, where the Stepsister is the main character instead.
Keep 🙂
Picture from Goodreads
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
This isn’t the type of book I would normally read, but I feel like I need to branch out a bit. This is a historical fiction book, about a girl who gets put into a work camp along with her mother and brother in Russia. It has raving reviews on Goodreads. I will read it when I’m in one of those moods to have my heart ripped out of my chest by a book.
Keep 🙂
Picture from Goodreads
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
I’ve never read a book by this author, and I know I said I need to branch out, but maybe not that OUT. From the reviews I’ve read, it seems like this is not a good first book to read by her.
Delete 😦
My Goodreads TBR list is now down to 49 books. I feel so light and happy 🙂
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?
This past week I haven’t been very productive at all when it comes to reading. My birthday is coming up, and my husband surprised me with a Goldendoodle puppy ♥️ Puppies are a handful, it’s like having a third child 😅
I can’t believe I got an ARC of Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa (the sequel to Shadow of the Fox). I love these characters and I can’t wait to see how the story ends.
I’m also listening to This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab during my work commute. This is one of my first Schwab books and I’m loving it. I had started reading Vicious, also by her, but I had to stop so I could read the Soul of the Sword ARC before release day.
I recently read The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. It was a nice read. I gave it three stars. You can read my review here.
Picture taken by me
What I will read next:
I want to finish the Vicious e-book by V.E. Schwab, which I had found very interesting before I had to stop reading it. I also need to finish Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, which I had stopped reading as well.
There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”
Neeve
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. (Synopsis from Goodreads)
I thought Stiefvater’s writing was spectacular. The story was hypnotic and entertaining. I admit to laughing out loud many times throughout it. She makes great use of similes and metaphors without overdoing it. I really liked the different POV’s, even the ones from the bad guy’s perspective, it really brought the whole story together.
She wasn’t interested in telling other people’s futures. She was interested in going out and finding her own.”
Blue
Blue was unique, from her name to her clothes to the way she decorated her room. I don’t blame her since she had a very strange upbringing, and grew up surrounded by fortune tellers. But this story was mainly about the boys. I really liked that they all had their own unique voices and distinct personalities. I still can’t decide which one was my favorite Aglionby boy, maybe Ronan, and I hope she wrote a book where we get to find out more about him. I still don’t know about Gansey, I can’t get past his obsession with this quest of his, and it seems like neither can he.
Gansey had once told Adam that he was afraid most people didn’t know how to handle Ronan. What he meant by this was that he was worried that one day someone would fall on Ronan and cut themselves”
adam
There was a great sense of adventure to this story, and the quests and discoveries were unique. I expected some of the twista, and there were some that caught me by surprise. Even though I understand this was part of a series, I still docked a few stars because I felt like the whole story was building up to something and then it fell flat at the end. Sometimes when authors do this, it makes me feel like they cut the story short just so they could write a second book, and it leaves me wanting.
When I was done with this book, I didn’t immediately feel like reading the next in the series. I did really like her writing style, and I am curious to learn more about all these characters, so I will definitely pick it up in the future. Hopefully, in the next book the ending is a bit better and I am left feeling more satisfied and less empty.
Have you guys read this? What did you think? Does the series get better plot-wise?
On Mondays I take the opportunity to clean up my TBR list. I ordered it in reverse chronological order from the date it was added. I looked at the oldest five books I’ve added on there and decided whether to keep them or delete them.
Picture from Goodreads
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
There are so many mixed reviews for this book. I feel like this is one of those you either love or you hate. I read a sample and decided I did not care for the writing style.
Delete 😦
Picture from Goodreads
Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1) by Jay Kristoff
I read a sample of this book and I loved it. The main character is so snarky, she reminds me of Caelena from Throne of Glass. I can’t wait to read it. It also sounds like a good audio book so I might listen to it instead.
Keep 🙂
Picture from Goodreads
Crown of Feathers by Nick Pau Preto
I think I’m just tired of sister feuds. I recently got fed up with One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake. I re-read the synopsis for this one and it no longer sounds appealing. I did not even feel like reading a sample.
Delete 😦
Picture from Goodreads
I love dystopian novels. There’s something about seeing how different people react at the end of the world as they know it. I almost got lost in that sample. This book seems to be part of a series, and many on Goodreads are calling it a hidden gem. I will give it a try.
Keep:)
Picture from Goodreads
Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
This sure is a beautiful cover. It’s probably what made me add this book to my TBR in the first place. I might have grown a bit tired of Chinese mythology lately. But I’m sure I will be in the mood eventually.
Keep 🙂
Just like that I got rid of two out of five books on my TBR, and I feel so free. Do you guys ever re-assess your never ending TBR? Anything you would have kept or deleted from mine?
Dee’s Reading Tree 