Hey everyone! I know that all I’ve been posting are T10T lately, but I’ve learned that I need a lot more time to review longer adult fantasy. I have about 4 paragraphs of my Jade War review to go, but it should be up on Thursday if you’re interested!
But until then, here are my top 10 favorite cover redesigns.
That’s all for now! I know some of these are just different editions or US vs. UK, but I still like one over the other lol. What’s a cover redesign or edition you love?
Hey everyone! I seem to have found some Wifi to write up a post, so today I’m coming at ya with a list of books I need to read from my favorite authors. I don’t know about you all, but once I find an author I love I almost always buy most of their other works. Maybe that’s not everyone??? I have problems…and a migraine -.-
Anyways, today I’ll be choosing books I haven’t read from authors from my Top 10 Tuesday: Auto-Buy Authors post. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve started and stopped this 2 times now. In fact, it’s been on my currently reading shelf for probably half a year >.>. I’m enjoying it, but for some reason I haven’t read it all the way through yet. Hopefully I’ll get to it sometime this year..!
I will read all the N.K. Jemisin books one day! Actually, mortals going up to the god realm is one of my favorite tropes so maybe I should have chosen to read this one before The Killing Moon. It hasn’t gotten the best reviews, but I’m hoping I’ll like it anyway.
I had no idea Fonda Lee had other books out besides the Green Bone Saga! This is a YA sci-fi that sounds way different than her other works, but humans integrating with alien societies from Fonda Lee sounds like it could be a good time.
I find the idea of super hero stories exciting, but for some reason I’m always hesitant to read one. That, and the books in this trilogy are huge! The last book is coming out this year, and I’m guessing I will binge the series during the beginning of the year.
So this sounds spooky, and I’m not sure if I will ever get the courage to try this one out. I love scary anything, but because I went to Catholic school until college, exorcisms tend to freak me out. But it’s Rin Chupeco, and I’m curious. So maybe!
For some reason I’m not drawn in by the story of a man with tons of people living inside his head. However, I know that I’ve enjoyed most of Brandon Sanderson’s other works and am pretty confident I’ll enjoy this one, too.
I’m saving this one for when I’m craving an angsty romance because that’s what this seems like. I’m used to Christina Lauren’s rom-coms but haven’t enjoyed the one serious romance I’ve read by them. I still have high hopes for this one, though!
I had a lot of fun reading Furyborn and really liked how fun Claire Legrand’s writing was so I decided I need to read everything she ever writes! SawkillGirls seems to have a different vibe from Furyborn, but I’m hoping I enjoy it, too!
I’ve had this on my physical TBR since it first came out. At first I didn’t read it because I didn’t like waiting for sequels. Then I didn’t read it because I heard there was a tragic romance and I didn’t know if I could take that. But I lovedStrange the Dreamer, and I still believe I’ll read this…one day!
I might be cheating a little with this one because Into the Crooked Place isn’t out yet, but this is only Alexandra Christo’s second novel. I gave To Kill a Kingdom 5 stars last year, so I’m expecting good things from this one!
What are some books you haven’t read by some of your favorite authors? I’d love to hear from you!
TBR Lows and Highs was created by the lovely Destiny over at Howling Libraries. Destiny is super down to earth and always has the most fun content. Go check her out!
Hey everyone! I’ve wanted to join in on this meme since Destiny created it but stopped blogging before I got to it. Now I’m back, still (and will probably forever >.>) have a TBR problem, and am finally going to post my first TBR Lows and Highs.
Let’s get to it!
∴Rules∴
• Link back to the original post at Howling Libraries • Sort your Goodreads TBR shelf by date added, ascending • Find 5 titles to purge from your TBR (the “lows”) OR find 5 titles that are at the BOTTOM of your TBR—books you want to read someday, just not right now! • Post those 5 books in the list, with a brief explanation • Next, sort your Goodreads TBR shelf by date added, descending • List the last 5 (or more!) books you added to your TBR, with a synopsis or your brief summary of why you added it (the “highs”)
∴Lows∴
There’s no real reason why these made it onto my lows. I just don’t think I’ll ever get to them.
Synopsis: It has always been Eda’s dream to become empress, no matter the cost. Haunted by her ambition and selfishness, she’s convinced that the only way to achieve her goal is to barter with the gods. But all requests come with a price and Eda bargains away the soul of her best friend in exchange for the crown.
Years later, her hold on the empire begins to crumble and her best friend unexpectedly grows sick and dies. Gnawed by guilt and betrayal, Eda embarks on a harrowing journey to confront the very god who gave her the kingdom in the first place. However, she soon discovers that he’s trapped at the center of an otherworldly labyrinth and that her bargain with him is more complex than she ever could have imagined.
In a world where magic is outlawed, ability with a sword is prized above all else. For Soren this means the chance to live out his dreams.
Plucked from a life of privation, he is given a coveted place at Ostenheim’s Academy of Swordsmanship, an opportunity beyond belief.
Opportunity is not always what it seems however, and gifts rarely come without conditions. Soren becomes an unwitting pawn in a game of intrigue and treachery that could cost him not just his dreams, but also his life.
Synopsis: Half-Fae, half-human Bryce Quinlan loves her life. By day, she works for an antiquities dealer, selling barely legal magical artifacts, and by night, she parties with her friends, savouring every pleasure Lunathion—otherwise known as Crescent City— has to offer. But it all comes crumbling down when a ruthless murder shakes the very foundations of the city—and Bryce’s world.
Hunt Athalar, personal assassin for the Archangels, wants nothing to do with Bryce Quinlan, despite being ordered to protect her. She stands for everything he once rebelled against and seems more interested in partying than solving the murder, no matter how close to home it might hit. But Hunt soon realizes there’s far more to Bryce than meets the eye—and that he’s going to have to find a way to work with her if they want to solve this case.
Synopsis: France, 1562: Nineteen-year-old Minou Joubert receives an anonymous letter at her father’s bookshop. Sealed with a distinctive family crest, it contains just five words: SHE KNOWS THAT YOU LIVE.
But before Minou can decipher the mysterious message, a chance encounter with a young Huguenot convert, Piet Reydon, changes her destiny forever. For Piet has a dangerous mission of his own, and he will need Minou’s help if he is to stay alive.
As the religious divide deepens, and old friends become enemies, Minou and Piet both find themselves trapped in Toulouse, facing new dangers as tensions ignite across the city.
All the while, the shadowy mistress of Puivert Château—obsessed with uncovering the secrets of a long-hidden document—strengthens her power and waits for the perfect time to strike…
Synopsis: In the Blue, the world’s last city, all is not well.
Julia is stuck within its walls. She serves the nobility from a distance until she meets Lucas, a boy who believes in fairytales that Julia’s world can’t accommodate. The Blue is her prison, not her castle, and she’d escape into the trees if she didn’t know that contamination and death awaited humanity outside.
But not everyone in the Blue is human, and not everyone can be contained.
Beyond the city’s boundaries, in the wild forests of the Red, Cameron has precious little humanity left to lose. As he searches for a lost queen, he finds an enemy rising that he thought long dead. An enemy that the humans have forgotten how to fight.
One way or another, the walls of the Blue are coming down. The only question is what side you’ll be on when they do.
Are there any interesting books you added to your TBR lately? Do you think I should keep any of the books on my lows? I’d love to know in the comments!
Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Lainey and currently hosted by Sam on Goodreads. Come check out the group and join the fun!
Hey everyone!
First off, I got the place I was trying to get! Yay me! No more 1.5 hour commutes to school for me!
Today I’ll be joining in on T5W again. Apparently I missed out on the other friendship questions, but I’m sure I’ll eventually get to those in freebies. I actually haven’t read many books with a huge group of friends, but I was luckily able to come up with a few.
If you saw my tweet about my fantasy-like encounter with Seanan Mcguire at Worldcon, you may think I’m being biased…and that would be sorta kinda true. But I do really adore the Wayward Children, especially in Beneath the Sugar Sky. I just love how a group of children who don’t feel like they fit in anywhere have a place where they can be proud to be themselves. I also like how they find comfort in each other.
Ahhhh these airsick lowlanders are such treasures! If you haven’t read The Way of Kings, one army uses bridgemen to run ahead and place bridges across chasms for the soldiers to get where they need to be. As you can probably tell, it’s a dangerous job and people constantly die on bridge runs. The members of Bridge 4 don’t start off as the most likable of characters, but I always found myself rooting for them. They’re also hilarious! It’s super funny whenever they affectionately bash one another.
As you can probably already tell, I love a group of entertaining misfits with troubled pasts, especially when they’re characterized well. I don’t think any member of The Dregs doesn’t have something someone can relate to, and that’s why I care for them so much.
4. The Fairy Tail Guild from Fairy Tail by Hiro Mashima
Fairy Tail has a huge cast of characters, and I can honestly say I like every one of them. There are many characters I couldn’t stand in the beginning who are now my favorites. I used to be obsessed with an MMORPG called Lineage II and formed many close relationships with my former clan mates. I love the Fairy Tail guild because they treat each other like family, and I without a doubt believe your online clan mates can become as close as family.
5. Alabaster, Syenite, and Innon from The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
I may or may not have been excited for this week’s topic just because I finally had a reason to post this beautiful fanart of my favorite characters from a book I read in 2018. Alabaster, Syenite, and Innon are not just friends. They are also in a polyamorous relationship. I think anyone would be lucky to have someone care for them the way the characters in this group care for each other. You can even see their admiration when they’re not near one another.
I hope you enjoyed my picks and featured fanart! What are some of your favorite group of friends? Let me know!
Today I finally started to catch up on tags. I swear I’ll get to them all! Sometimes I’m hesitant to post certain things because what if I need it for later?? And then I end up not posting anything lol…
I was nominated by Amy @ The Little Book Nerds to do the Sunshine Blogger Award. Thank you so much for the tag!
What is the Sunshine Blogger Award?
The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.
The Rules
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you by linking their blog.
2. Answer the questions.
3. Nominate 11 blogs with 11 questions.
4. List the rules as well as display the Sunshine Award Logo on your post.
Amy’s Questions
1. Do you prefer to read Kindle or physical books?
Physical but I like Kindle when there’s a lot of information or characters because sometimes you can highlight names, and it will tell you a little about what you highlighted.
2. Have you tried audiobooks? If you have, what do you think of them?
Yes, I like them but I usually can’t start one without reading the beginning of the book first. For some reason I retain more of the audiobook if I read the first few chapters.
3. Who’s a blogger you most aspire to? and why.
Ah, I think I’m going to go with Kathy @ Pages Below the Vaulted Sky. I love her content and personality! She’s mostly into fantasy, and I find reading her reviews super dangerous because they always have me wanting to read and buy what she reads.
4. Can you listen to music while reading? If you can what music do you mostly listen to?
Sometimes. I read at the cafe I work at a lot and my boss/friend always has some version of Lofi Hip-Hop Radio playing in the background.
5. If you could give the first half of 2018 a rating, what would you give it?
It’s been a really good year for me ^^. I’m doing things I didn’t think I would be able to do again so 5/5 stars!
6. What do you enjoy most about blogging?
Meeting and talking to people. I think this usually happens in the comments for me, but if there are other platforms everyone just chats on let me know haha… I met Sandra @gotathingforthings on Twitter through the #booksfortrade tag and we constantly chat when time zones allow us haha! Such a coincidence, but I’m happy to have made a new friend!
Kind of weird because these take me forever to do, but I also enjoy writing reviews. I feel most proud of myself when I write them because putting your opinions out in public is scary!
7. Have you been to any conventions?
Yes! I went to YALLWEST this year with my mom and it was super fun! I even wrote up a guide for it. I’ve also been to anime conventions including Fanime and Sac-Anime. I’ve been an artist at these conventions, too! ^^
8. If you could give your past self-advice about blogging what would you tell yourself?
Ah, I still consider myself a new blogger so if you’ve got advice for me have at it because I’m still very lost sometimes >.>. But honestly, I think I’d tell past me that being lost isn’t so bad. I kind of wish I had 2-3 reviews written for when I get in blog slumps, though, not gonna lie. Oh! I’d also tell past me that you’re posts will get better and you’ll become more efficient. Still telling myself that today!
9. What time of the day do you normally read the most?
I read throughout the day, really, but probably sometime in the evening between 6PM-9PM.
10. How do you plan out your next blog post out?
I try to use a planner, but I don’t stick to it a lot. But I have a few general processes. For memes I type out the questions, answer them, then add my intro. Then I add the pictures and links. For reviews I start a post as soon as I start the book, then probably half-way into the book I type out some of my notes so I know what direction I’m going in with my review. Doing this let’s me think about what I want to say while starting a new book. This works for me right now, but I’m hoping I can get them out faster later on.
11. How many completed posts does it take for you to say its a ‘good blogging day’?
Ohhh man…a good blogging day for me is when I’ve outlined a couple posts >.>. If I’ve gotten some of my thoughts out, it’s good enough for me lol. I’m working on it! But I usually don’t completely finish a post until the night before, I mean, I usually have the written parts done earlier. It’s the adding the links and pictures and ping backs that I procrastinate on!
My Questions:
1. Where do you get your inspiration to blog?
2. What intimidates you most about blogging?
3. How has blogging changed your life?
4. Can you point me to some of your favorite “hidden gem” bloggers?
5. How personal do you get in your blog posts?
6. What are 2 of your favorite things to do outside of the bookish world?
7. What’s the last book that surprised you?
8. What is one of your favorite bookish memories?
9. What’s the most extreme thing you’ve done related to books?
10. Can you give me and other bloggers 1-2 blogging tips?
11. If you have a blog theme, how and why did you decide on it?
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On a World of Words. Check out Sam’s post to join in and support!
Hey everyone! The month is coming to an end, but I’ve still got some books I’m hoping to get to. Here are this week’s three W’s.
What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
I am currently reading The Raging Ones by Krista & Becca Ritchie. In this world, everyone knows the exact date of their death, and it causes society to be divided into the Influentials and the Fast-Trackers. The Influentials are people whose death date is further on in life. They tend to be treated well because they have more life to live. Fast-Trackers have shorter life spans, and they are treated like scum since they won’t be alive that long anyways. So far people are betting over causes of death and criminals are branded as “Icecastle.” I’m not that far into the book, so there might be more to it later. It’s a pretty addicting read, though!
I recently finished Fat Girl on a Train by Kelly deVos, and it made me so angry! I was going to give this a low rating but then realized I can’t because this stuff actually happens. I’m keeping this short because I realized my City of Ghosts review said many things I said in the WWW meme last week. So more about it in my review later!
I think I will be reading Orope: The White Snake by Guenevere Lee. This isn’t on my TBR, but I’m trying to get my O.W.L.s done. I ended up trading the books I put on this part of the TBR, so these are my stand in’s.
Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme created and hosted by Shanah of The Bionic Book Worm. Give her page some love!
Hey everyone!
I chickened out! I didn’t post the fitness post because it was scary. I WILL get myself to do it, though! It’s a little like going to the gym for the first time after you haven’t in awhile. So nerve wrecking ><!
But today is Top 5 Tuesday, so let’s get on to the top 5 books I read because of the book community!
I started reading YA last year with Caraval being the first, and then The Lunar Chronicles being next. During that time I became obsessed with Booktube, and this book always popped up. I honestly love a good romance, and everyone said this was it. So I read ACOTAR to get to ACOMAF and completely inhaled it! I remember thinking, “This is how giddy it feels when I read fanfiction of my favorite ships. I can’t believe real books can be like this!” I gotta admit, I didn’t like the next book in the series, but this will always be a memorable read to me!
So…I didn’t complete all of Harry Potter until June of last year. I wasn’t much of a reader, okay??? ><! But everyone kept saying, “If you haven’t read Harry Potter, then what are you doing on so and so?” The pressure finally got to me, and I read everything in 3 weeks. I know people read a lot faster than that, but since I’ve started blogging I’ve only managed 4 books a month so seven in three weeks is crazy for me. And now I’m like pretty much the rest of the world and am super obsessed and trying to find another MG/YA series that will have me as engaged as Harry Potter did.
I got this book because of Instagram. Like everyone said, I didn’t end up liking the first trilogy in this universe. However, I was glued to my seat reading the duology. Again, I was new to YA and couldn’t believe how good it was. This book also introduced me to multiple POV’s, and that’ actually my preferred narrative style now.
I am so late to the A Song of Ice and Fire train, but then again I’m late to most book related trains so eh…But for this one I was also late to the show hype. After watching the show I asked around in one of the Facebook groups for a book like A Game of Thrones, and some people finally convinced me to try the books. I was intimidated by adult fantasy up until this point, so I was not looking forward to this. But now it’s everything I want in fantasy!!! Great characters and character development, tons of lore, amazing writing, lots of intrigue, etc., etc., etc.! If I’m in a slump, I’m reading something from ASOIAF.
This is the first book I read specifically because of book blogging. I’ve heard of this series because it’s a favorite of Kitty G. on Youtube, but when I picked it up at the library, I couldn’t get used to the writing style. Then I tried to read it again for a readathon, but still couldn’t get to it. Then I started following fantasy book bloggers, and I don’t think I’ve read a bad review on this one. I randomly tried to read it again, and I’m so glad I did because Robin Hobb honestly is amazing at writing characters. →my review←
What are some of your favorite books you’ve read because of the book community? Have you read any of the ones I mentioned? I’d love to chat!
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On a World of Words. Check out Sam’s post to join in and support!
Hey everyone! Today I’m participating in a different meme because I realized I do two list memes in a row and wanted to change that up. Maybe I will pick and choose which lists to do because they’re all so fun! However, right now I’m trying to branch out a bit. Like I said I want to add a Creation Corner post twice a month and now my trainer and friend convinced me to post about my weight loss journey to keep me accountable once a week. I still want to predominantly be a book blog, but I think weekends will be for off topic posts.
But for now, on to the three W’s.
What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
I am currently reading The Devil You Know by K. J. Parker, and I’m really liking it! I’m not that far in, but I’ve recently DNF’d a book, put a book on hold, and given a couple books only three stars so I’ve been in a bit of a book slump. I really need a winner over here lol… I’m pretty engaged with this story about a trickster trying to outsmart the Father of Lies. So far I’m liking the writing and the main character, who hasn’t been named yet, is arrogant but it’s kind of funny. I have a good feeling about this one so fingers crossed!
I recently finished City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab. I wanted to love this so much more than I did, but I think Middle Grade just isn’t for me. It gives off a spooky atmosphere and is fast-paced and full of adorable and lovable characters, but I thought it was just okay. I like world-building and characters to be a little more fleshed out even if that means the actual plot is relatively lacking, and I’ve found that most Middle Grade books I’ve read, including this one, are heavy with adventure over anything else. This wasn’t for me, but if you’re into Middle Grade I think you’ll really enjoy this one. I’ll be posting a more in depth review of City of Ghosts on Friday.
I have been craving an epic fantasy but I still have ARC’s I requested and need to read so I think I’ll be reading Fat Girl on a Plane by Kelly deVos next. Though I mentioned that I will be blogging about my weight loss and fitness journey once a week, I still want to work on being confident even when I’m fat (I am just personally not healthy at my current weight, but others definitely can be.) I adore Fat Girl on a Plane’s premise about a fat girl trying to make it in the fashion industry. I’m big and I love fashion! This book sounds like it will have tons of body positivity, so I think this will be just what I’m looking for.
What are your three W’s? Have you read any of mine? Come chat with me in the comments!
Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme created and hosted by Shanah of The Bionic Book Worm. Give her page some love!
Hey everyone!
I’ve been away for a week due to mental health. I think I’ve just been feeling overwhelmed with decisions concerning my future. I’m also in search of an apartment closer to my university and a new job!
This week’s Top 5 Tuesday is supposed to be books to re-read, but I’ve already talked about those, so instead I will be posting my favorite naked hardcovers which was the theme for the first week of July.
I was lucky enough to find this used on AbeBooks! You’re definitely going to see a pattern here. I love black and white books with gold, bronze, or silver foil. The whole naked hardcover of this book is gold, so I had to add it!
This is the most colorful naked hardcover I own, and it’s sooo gorgeous! I love just staring at it sometimes. It’s another book on Filipinos, but it’s nonfiction so I’m hoping to read it in November.
I was obsessed with this naked hardcover when I first got it! I’m also a sucker for anything by Marissa Meyer because she used to write Sailor Moon fanfiction >.>. I didn’t like this book as much as The Lunar Chronicles, in fact, I actually had it on my DNF shelf for sometime. However, I ended up giving it 4 stars when I picked it up again.
Everything about this cover and its naked hardcover is gorgeous! I don’t know why I haven’t read this yet as I adored The Song of Achilles, but I’ll get to it eventually!
And that’s it for today! Are you as in love with any of these naked covers as I am? Is there anything you find particularly attractive in naked hardcovers? Let me know!
Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme created and hosted by Shanah of The Bionic Book Worm. Give her page some love!
Hey everyone!
It’s time for another Top 5 Tuesday! I didn’t participate last week because I had just put away my photography set up before I saw the prompt and decided it was too much effort for my procrastinating blogger self. >.> But I’m back today, with my favorite character driven books. Sort of! Otherwise we’d see another post with Evelyn Hugo, The Fifth Season, and The Song of Achilles again. Trying to mix it up again!
So here are some other books I love with great characters!
This is the first book I read that really made me think YA would be a fun genre to get into. Crooked Kingdom is the second book in the Six of Crows duology, but I enjoyed the character arcs more in this one. My favorite character would have to be Jesper. I remember thinking we had the same close relationship with our parents, and we both joke around our issues. I also enjoyed Nina, the sexy and confident plus-sized Grisha who is more grey than her everything-is-black-and-white suitor.
Cora a plus-sized, fit mermaid is my newest favorite character of all time. I loved how she was characterized and I love her attitude. She is confident in herself yet still nervous when she meets new people. I also enjoyed Rini, a young girl anxious to rescue her mother from death.
I don’t know if there is any character in this book I didn’t like! Wait, no, yea, there’s definitely a few characters I didn’t like. >.> But I like how Robin Hobb characterized them. I really need to get back to this trilogy soon because I’ve been craving a cast of characters to obsess over! →my review←
While I think the reasoning behind many events that took place didn’t make much sense, I still liked the characters, especially Yejide. She is a modern woman married to a man with a more conservative family in Nigeria. It was interesting to see how Yejide slowly changed to attempt to please her elders.
I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would and the characters are exactly why I liked it. First we have Mara, the twin whose brother is being accused of rape who is also dealing with her own past full of trauma. Then there is her ex-girlfriend who vividly describes what it’s like to be non-binary. I know many people don’t like her, but I also enjoyed reading about Mara’s mother who is also the rapist’s mother. She has to have the most conflicting feelings as she is a huge advocate for feminism but also the mother of a rapist. →my review←
That’s all for today! What are some of your favorite character driven novels? I’d love to know, and feel free to drop your T5T link in the comments.
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I am currently reading The Raging Ones by Krista & Becca Ritchie. In this world, everyone knows the exact date of their death, and it causes society to be divided into the Influentials and the Fast-Trackers. The Influentials are people whose death date is further on in life. They tend to be treated well because they have more life to live. Fast-Trackers have shorter life spans, and they are treated like scum since they won’t be alive that long anyways. So far people are betting over causes of death and criminals are branded as “Icecastle.” I’m not that far into the book, so there might be more to it later. It’s a pretty addicting read, though!
Justine Time 