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Mini Reviews

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

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

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

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

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

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

⭐️⭐️

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

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

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

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

Have you guys read these? What did you think?

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WWW Wednesday

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

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

What I just read

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

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

What I’m reading now

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

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

What I will be reading next

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

What are your WWW’s?

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My Comfort Books

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

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

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

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

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

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

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

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

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

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

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Top Five Additions to my TBR

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

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

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

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

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

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

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

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

Cinder and the Prince of Midnight by Susan Ee

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

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

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

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

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Catwoman Review

May 24, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Two years after escaping Gotham City’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking. Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman may be Batwing’s undoing. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

Don’t leave me alone in the darkness. This place where we both exist, yet serve different callings.”
cATWOMAN

Catwoman: Soulstealer was written by Sarah J. Maas, and the audio book was narrated by Julia Whelan. I read it in my down time, and listened to it on my work commute, as well as in the shower and while doing house-work. Honestly, I found myself looking for any possible excuse to listen to this book. This narrator was the best I’ve heard yet, she did all the male and female voices perfectly and even did their accents. The only problem when it comes to audio books for me is the fact that it’s harder for me to save the quotes I like, notice I only have one quote in this review 🙂

I’ve never been much of a fan of Catwoman, but this book made me fall in love with her anti-hero character. Her relationship with her sister was so sweet and pure, their love for each other almost made me cry a few times. Luke’s relationship with his parents, especially his dad, was very refreshing to read. As I mentioned before, good father-son relationships have been hard for me to find in YA/Fantasy books lately. I recently talked about Jesper’s relationship with his dad in Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, and I’m glad these types of healthy supportive relationships are becoming more prevalent.

Maas is a master at keeping her characters’ schemes under wraps until the very end, and once again she does not disappoint. As the story progresses we know Selina is back in Gotham on a secret mission which mostly involves her causing a lot of chaos, but we don’t know what her whole plan is. I have to admit I never anticipated the full scope of her plan. This is book was full of action, fighting scenes, with a little romance and friendship thrown into the mix. I really enjoyed it.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

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WWW Wednesday

May 22, 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

The Space Between Time by Charlie Laidlaw was amazing. It was a five star read for me. You can read my full review here.

What I’m reading now

I’m currently in one of those reading phases where I am reading multiple books at once. I am finally reading Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, and I am almost done. It is great, and dare I say it better than Six of Crows? It definitely has a lot more action from the beginning. I’m guessing because in Six of Crows she had to do a lot more world building.

I’m also listening to the Catwoman: Soulstealer audio book narrated by Julia Whelan, and written by my favorite Sarah J. Maas. I’ve been listening to it while on my commute to and from work, and I confess it’s so good that I’ve also been finding other random times to listen to it…like in the shower and while doing housework. 🙂

Reviews on both of these coming soon!

What I will be reading next

My next priority is Wonderwoman: Warbringer by Leigh Bargudo. I have the e-book and it has been waiting for me for a while. I also have hard copies of One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake and Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller that I need to get to as well. I think after these are done I will stop requesting library books and read the ones I already have, which will make reading less stressful. I feel like I’ve been down an overwhelming slippery slope lately, and I don’t like to feel that way when it comes to reading.

What are your WWW’s?

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Monday Cleaning Day

May 20, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

After doing a major TBR organization and clean-up on Saturday, my list on Goodreads is now looking a lot better and more manageable. Either way it’s always good to keep an eye on it and make sure I don’t go TBR happy again. Plus, all those pretty pictures on my Bookstagram lately have made me add so many books on there. Since my list is down to 76 books, this time I am only looking at the first five books I added in reverse chronological order.

Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns, #3) by Kendare Blake

I loved the first book in this series. It started out really slow, but once it picked up I couldn’t put it down. The same thing happened with the second book, except I got bored and actually put it down. Now, it’s just sitting there in my TBR basket waiting for me to pick it back up. Once I read that one, then I will read this one which is the third in the series.

Keep 🙂

Shades of Wicked (Night Rebel, #1) by Jeaniene Frost

I read a sample of this one and really liked it. Also, the reviews on Goodreads are great, it’s currently a 4.35/5 stars. I fear this author’s books might become my new guilty pleasure.

Keep 🙂

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

This one I picked up while on vacation at Fort Myers beach and I still haven’t gotten to it. It has good reviews and people really love the second one in the series called Daughter of the Siren Queen.

Keep 🙂

Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy, #1) by Emily A. Duncan

I feel like this book was just really hyped up online, but the reviews on my Goodreads seem like it hasn’t lived up to the hype. Maybe I will add it later on if someone can convince me otherwise.

Delete 😦

The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3) by Holly Black

This is not even a question. I have been highly anticipating this book. I loved the first two books in this series and I can’t wait for the last one.

Keep 🙂

I’m so happy my new organization system seems to be working. I only had to delete one out of five this time. How do you guys decide what to read?

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TBR Organization

May 18, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

It all started the night before Mother’s Day. I had the perfect day planned, it included going to Barnes and Noble and then dinner with my husband and my kids. But as I was looking at my endless TBR list I decided it needed some type of system or it was going to drive me insane. What exactly did I need to look for at Barnes and Noble? With my two year old and my four year old tagging along I couldn’t exactly take a leisurely stroll around the store and browse to my heart’s content. That’s when I came up with a system.

To Buy

I made a Goodreads shelf named “To Buy.” I needed a list for the books I had yet to read but wanted to buy. The night before, I read samples of all the books on there and deleted the ones I didn’t really like. This made it so I didn’t even have to read the book at all in the store, I could just buy it with confidence. I then deleted the ones I still wanted to read but I didn’t want a hard copy of and I would be fine with an e-book.

I also put books in here that I already read but I want to buy for my bookshelves. For example, books that are part of a series I love and stand alone books that have made an impression on me and I would like to own hard copies of.

Own

This one is pretty self explanatory. Is a list of the books I own hard copies of, I don’t count e-books.

Classics

I have been at a loss of what to do with my classics. There are some that I have read and love, and there are some that I own and have been dreading reading. So I put them all in this list.

To be Released

I made this list to keep track of any upcoming releases from my favorite authors and favorite series. It’s a way to keep track of release dates and cover reveals as well. This way I have a quick reference if I need to brush up on a series before release date, or if I need to request an ARC.

Priority One

I really needed a shelf like this. This is where I put the books I really need to read next, whether it’s for a review or an ARC an author gave me, these are the books I must read soon before I even browse anything else. I don’t always do that, sometimes I stray into other books I really want to read just for fun, but I try not to. This list definitely helps!

Re-read (Second Chance)

This is the shelf where I put the books I did not finish but would like to try again. Maybe it was the mood I was in? I will give these books one last chance before I delete them completely.

How do you all organize your TBR? Any suggestions?

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Bookish Bucket List

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

On Fridays I add items to my bookish bucket list. Last week I added: visit Venice, Italy, own and read the Game of Thrones series, and go snorkeling in Hawaii.

Read Wuthering Heights

I actually own a very old version of this book, not sure if it’s first edition or not. I might have started it back in High School (more than ten years ago if you must know), but I never finished it. It is referenced in so many other books that I feel like I already know what it’s about, but I feel like I do need to read it someday.

Visit Paris, France

In Jojo Moyes’ book Me Before You, Louisa Clark yearns to visit this little café in Paris which Will described for her in great detail. Ever since I read this book I’ve wanted to visit this city and sit in one such place sipping on coffee and reading a good book, maybe this same one.

Own the Blood of Eden series

I feel like the Blood of Eden series by Julie Kagawa is so underrated, but I really loved it and would like to own it. It’s a dystopian saga, with a strong female main character, and vampires. What more can you ask for? I currently own the e-books, but I will be adding the real books to my collection soon.

What are some book related things you wish to do?

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The Space Between Time Review

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

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

He was our star, we circled in uneasy orbit. Mum was a moon; I sometimes felt like a small piece of space junk.”
Emma

This story is about Emma, a girl who on the surface seems to have the perfect life, but in reality struggles to deal with the consequences of her parents’ life choices. She spends her whole childhood wondering why her famous actor father would ever marry her neurotic mother, and why he would choose to isolate them to a small town in Scotland while he travels the world without them. We follow Emma from childhood into adulthood, through tragedy and heartbreak, while she attempts to find herself in a world set on sticking a label on everyone.

I then decide that I must still have all sorts of panoramas ahead of me, uncharted possibilities to be explored, and maybe that’s what life is all about: to journey, rather than find landfall, because the sea is empty of bad intentions and the land is full of bad people. That’s why I like to look at the sea…”
emma

I found Emma’s inner dialogue and narration hilarious and entertaining, and it only gets better as she gets older. There was a scene where she attended a Christmas school play which honestly was one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever read. There’s also this other narrative where Emma is having an argument with a guy during a parade which is absolutely brilliant as well.

Leith is now a place of reinvention where dockyard pubs, within which taciturn men silently drink beer and whisky, sit side by side with wine bars serving chardonnay on tap.”
emma

Laidlaw’s descriptions of people and places were original and easy to picture. I loved Emma’s grandpa Alberto with his temperamental mustache. I enjoyed reading about her friend Patsy, who was so full of life that I sometimes envied her, and I’m sure at times Emma was jealous of her as well. I especially liked Knox, the prickly anti-social toilet trained cat.

I want to be my own little planet, bustling quietly around the universe; I don’t want to be in someone else’s orbit…”
emma

This book was something else. I accepted an ARC from the author, Charlie Laidlaw, after reading a short description of the book and thinking it was interesting enough, and I needed some light reading. However, this was not in any way light, and I was not expecting to be totally blown away by it. This story was deep and profoundly real. It delves into hard topics such as suicide, depression, and anxiety, while also inserting humor in all the right places. I would recommend it to anyone wishing to learn more about what it means to be alive.

Charlie Laidlaw’s book releases June 20, 2019.