imreading – Page 5 – Dee’s Reading Tree

Monday Cleaning Day

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

It’s Monday again, and the only good thing about my Mondays is that I get to clean up my TBR. As always I ordered by TBR on Goodreads in reverse chronological order, and I skipped the books I have already decided to keep in my past posts. I then took a look at the next ten books and decided to keep them or delete them.

the lightning thief by rick riordan — Picture from Goodreads

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)

I feel like this is a right of passage book, and I’m totally ashamed I have not read it. I believe I’ve seen a few of the movies. I definitely need to read this series.

Keep 🙂

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

I’ve never read a book set in Alaska before, and like I said on my previous post I’m trying to expand my horizons. This book has pretty good ratings on Goodreads and has been talked about a lot on Bookstagram. I will give it a try.

Keep 🙂

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Many people on my Goodreads are saying this book should get more than five stars so I’m really intrigued. It reminds me of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins which I also loved.

Keep 🙂

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

I must’ve been in one of those peppy/ inspirational moods when I added this to my TBR, but honestly now I’m rolling my eyes at it so…

Delete 😦

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

I really liked the movie, and in my experience the book is always better. So I’m keeping this one, and I’ll just imagine Brad Pitt the whole time.

Keep 🙂

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

What an interesting and unique concept. People are born “gray and damned” and only with the help of a “belle” can they become beautiful.

Keep 🙂

Scythe by Neal Shusterman (Arc of a Scythe, #1)

This one is really famous amongst the bookstagrammer community and I see it everywhere. It has great reviews on Goodreads as well. I will definitely give it a try.

Keep 🙂

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Such a pretty cover. Great reviews as well. This one is a keeper.

Keep 🙂

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

I recently found this book while reading Call it What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer. In her book one of the main characters talks about enjoying books like Harry Potter, An Ember in the Ashes and he also mentioned this one. It looks like there are several of these books out and I’m very behind the times.

Keep 🙂

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind by Jackson Ford

I may or may not have added this book to my TBR solely because of the cover. It has mixed reviews and it doesn’t have a lot of them, so I might just wait until there is a more solid opinion on this one. I’m being very selective of what I keep on my TBR lately, and this one is not covering it.

Delete 😦

This time I only deleted two out of ten books, which can only mean I’m getting really good at only adding books I will actually read to my TBR. Would you have done anything different?

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June Wrap-up

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

Books I read this month

📖A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (hardback) review here

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖The Raven Boys (audio) review here

⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Call it What you want by Brigid Kemmerer (e-Arc) review here

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Shadow and Bone (paperback) -mini review coming soon

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff (audio) -mini review coming soon

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa (e-Arc) review here

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (audio) review here

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

the book of dust by phillip pullman — My Bookstagram

June Bookhaul

For my shelves

📖Cinder by Marissa Meyer

📖An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

📖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.

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WWW Wednesday

June 18, 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’m reading now:

I’m currently reading an e-ARC of Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa which is the second book to Shadow of the Fox. I couldn’t believe it when I first got approved for this on Netgalley, and I’m loving it just like I thought I would. I had to put Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo on hold, so that I could finish Soul of the Sword and post my review before release day on June 27th.

I’ve also been listening to Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman, and so far I really like the humor they use. The audio book has a full cast of characters and it’s almost like listening to a movie, it’s amazing.

What I just read:

My only accomplishment this past week was finishing This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab. It was a four star read for me. You can see my review here.

What I will read next:

My plan is to finish Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, which I actually own a physical copy of. I also received an e-book called Radioactive Evolution by Richard Hummel which I also plan to read.

What are is your current read?

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This Savage Song

June 17, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: V.E. Schwab

Published: July 5, 2016

Series: Monsters of Verity, #1

Synopsis:

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

That’s life…it doesn’t matter if you’re monster or human, living hurts.”
August

This was a very unique world in which music played a big part. Monsters called Sunai could steal a person’s soul by singing or playing music. Music was also used as an escape by both the main characters; though I found myself identifying more with August’s taste in classical music, rather than Kate’s loud rock music.

The characters were very well fleshed out. I thought Kate was a strong female character who was willing to do anything to seek her father’s approval. August was sweet and likeable, but also did not let Kate push him around. I also liked the fact that there was no “instalove” in this story, and that their relationship did not take over the whole plot.

The plot was very action packed from the beginning. The characters were plunged from one predicament to the other with barely any breathing room in between. The only reason I took one star was because the ending was too perfect for me, and there was very little explanation as to what happened. But you will just have to read for yourself.

Overall, I would recommend this book to all fans of YA/Fantasy, and to anyone interested in dystopian novels and how people react at the end of the world.

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Monday Cleaning Day

June 16, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

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.

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

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 🙂

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 😦

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 😦

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 🙂

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 🙂

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 😦

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 🙂

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 🙂

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 🙂

Would you guys have done anything different?

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WWW Wednesday

June 11, 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?

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 😅

What I’m reading now:

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.

What I just read:

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.

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.

What are you guy’s WWW’s?

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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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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?