Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Review: The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas

I'm not even sure where to begin with this. I never thought I would be able to read this precious final book this early. But then thanks to a very precious friend I could. It means the world to me. I'm so happy that I decided to re-read The Burning Sky and The Perilous Sea first. <3 I love all three books so much.

I will not talk spoilers in my review. Well, I shall try my best not to talk spoilers. I will share some of the things I loved about this book, but nothing that spoils the plot :) But yes, like with every series, spoilers from the previous ones. But yeah. I have a lot of love for The Immortal Heights. And wish to share most of it :D

I'm still not sure what I want to say about this book. Wishing I could just say over and over again that I loved it like crazy. Because I did. The writing is oh so gorgeous. The characters are the very best. The plot is so exciting and scary and so perfect. I loved that in the beginning of this book, Iolanthe kept thinking of Titus as her beloved. It was the most precious thing and I loved it so much. They are the cutest couple. They have some fights, which broke my heart, yet they still love each other so much. I even loved the fights. Done so well. And oh. The romantic moments. I cannot. They are so perfect. Titus and Iolanthe are the very best couple. I love them so much. I wanted to read about them together at every moment. So much love.

I can't begin to say how much I love the characters in this book. Iolanthe is the most amazing girl. I love how she is both Fairfax and Iolanthe for Titus and everyone else. Both her names are awesome. She is the best as a girl and as a boy. I love how strong she is. How desperate she is to save Titus. How very protective she is of her friends. How she tries everything. How she never gives up. Iolanthe is such a strong main character and I will forever love her. Also, her powers are the most amazing. Loved it so.

Titus. My prince. My beloved. My precious. I cannot tell you how much I love this boy. But oh, he is falling apart in this third book. And it hurts my heart so much. Titus has sacrificed so much. His happiness. His childhood. Having friends. Having fun. And oh, I just want the best for my boy. I want him to be happy. To have fun. And he have all of that with Iolanthe. But then there is the prophecy. That he will die shortly. And oh my gosh. That is all I'm saying. There are new prophecies too. Ack. The pain.

But yes. Titus is my very favorite character. And he is doing badly in this book. Awful things happen to him. And it made my heart hurt so much. Yet it was so amazing to read about too. Just what I love in books, lol. But so mean. As I don't want Titus to hurt. I want him to have everything he once wished for. With Iolanthe. Sigh. I wish I could say all the things. But that would be mean of me. You all need to read this book when it comes out in October. The wait is worth it. The heartbreak too. Probably. You'll love it.

The plot is so good in this book. We get to know much more about the Bane. Which is all kinds of awful. Shudders. We get to know more about Titus's father. And oh, the heartbreak. The missed chances. My heart hurts so much for Titus. He has been hurt so badly. He has missed so much. I just. I want him protected and loved, always. But yes. The story. The story is so damn good. So much happens. So much bad, so much good. And I loved reading about every moment. The story is so amazing. And dangerous.

I cannot thank Sherry Thomas enough for writing this most amazing trilogy. I have loved all three books so much. And The Immortal Heights was such a strong finale. Such a perfect final book. Though I would not mind something that comes after the ending, ack. Yet at the same time I'm very much happy with how it all ended. Some things really broke my heart. But this book is so precious. Thank you, Sherry, for writing this book. <3 I will forever love and treasure it. Titus will always be my favorite. Oh, my heart.

There are so many quotes I could share from this precious book. But I'm choosing not to, as most could probably spoil things. Maybe. But even so. I shall share one quote. And it is my favorite from the whole book. And it makes me smile every time I see it. There were so many funny scenes between Titus and Iolanthe in this book. And I loved all of them so much. Sigh. They are just the best couple I have read about. And oh, how I want more. But anyway. The quote. It is my very favorite. I hope you love it :D

"I will probably bruise my face going up," said Titus.
"No, not that. That's my favorite part of you."
"Really? You told me something else altogether in the lighthouse."

Some advice for you. Drop everything to read The Burning Sky and The Perilous Sea. And then spend some months waiting for this special book. The Immortal Heights is worth the wait. The pain that happens in the first two books are worth it. Everything is worth it. And these three books will forever be special to me. They are so perfect. Titus is the best. The plot is so exciting. I shall never tire of reading these books. So yes. I need you all to read these books right away. Because you need to. You have to. <3

The Immortal Heights is one of the best books I have read. The characters are written so well. The story is so exciting and scary and interesting and just so good. Titus is the very best. This book has magic. And such a glorious magic. This is one of the very best final books. It ends this trilogy so well. There is so much heartbreak. And it is all amazing to read about. This third book was fantastic. And I loved it oh so much. I cannot wait to read these three books again, which I will do for years and years. I love them.


Waiting on Wednesday #185

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

THE WOLF WILDER BY KATHERINE RUNDELL
 
Goodreads Description:

Feodora and her mother live in the snowbound woods of Russia, in a house full of food and fireplaces. Ten minutes away, in a ruined chapel, lives a pack of wolves. Feodora's mother is a wolf wilder, and Feo is a wolf wilder in training. A wolf wilder is the opposite of an animal tamer: it is a person who teaches tamed animals to fend for themselves, and to fight and to run, and to be wary of humans.

When the murderous hostility of the Russian Army threatens her very existence, Feo is left with no option but to go on the run. What follows is a story of revolution and adventure, about standing up for the things you love and fighting back. And, of course, wolves.



Hardcover, 256 pages
Expected publication: September 9th 2015 by Bloomsbury Children's 
Pre-Order here and here.

This is the UK cover edition for this gorgeous book. And I love this version the most. Sigh. It is so beautiful! Though the US version is pretty too :) But ack. This book sounds pretty amazing. A bit different, so I'm not sure I would love it, but it is SO PRETTY. So I'm going to get it. And I'm going to cross all my fingers that I will love it. Because I want to. I want to so badly. Oh, how it is gorgeous.
What are you waiting for on this wild Wednesday?

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir Launch Day Post + Giveaway

Oh how I am excited about An Ember in the Ashes. I have heard so much exciting things about it :D Just waiting for my pre-order to arrive, so that I can read it. <3 I'm so excited yet a bit nervous too. I really want to love this book :) Thank you Rachel and Jaime at Rockstar Book Tours for letting me take part in this release day blitz. <3 So excited. They are also hosting an amazing US only giveaway at the end of the post :D I'm a bit sad that it is US only, lol, as I very much want these prizes. Sigh. Best of luck to all of you :) Also loving the letter from Sabaa. <3 Have any of you read this yet? Or planning to read it? :)

http://www.rockstarbooktours.com/

A letter from Sabaa Tahir. 

Dear Readers,

Today, my “baby” AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is finally out in the world! From inception to pub date, this journey took eight years. And what a journey it was: writing, rewriting, revising, editing, querying, submitting; Meeting other debuts, bloggers, booksellers and librarians, and hearing their thoughts on EMBER. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the radness.

And now, the book is here! I am so excited to see it in the hands of readers. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. To celebrate release day, I’m giving away two signed, first-edition hardcovers of the book. Details below!

All my best,
Sabaa

Title: AN EMBER IN THE ASHE
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Pub. Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 464
Find it: AmazonBarnes & NobleiBooks, Goodreads 

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told. 

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.



Sabaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s 18-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.


Giveaway Details.
2 winners will receive a signed hardcover of An Ember in the Ashes.
3 winners will receive a hardcover of An Ember in the Ashes and a Sword Letter Opener.
Ends on May 9th at Midnight EST. US only for all prizes. Best of luck :)

Cress Tuesday #79

WINTER! The cover is finally here :D And my gosh. It is so pretty. <3 See the full size version here. So perfect. And the summary is so amazing too. Love it! I cannot wait to read these 800 pages. <3 I'm so excited. I know that Winter will be amazing. <3 Because I really loved Cinder, Scarlet, Cress & Fairest. I also cannot wait for all the other upcoming books by Marissa; especially Heartless :D So excited for everything that she writes. I will be re-reading these books pretty soon, I think, because I have waited more than long enough already. Ack. And I love them so much. Just wishing it was November already. Sigh. Waiting for Winter has taken forever, but I know the wait will be worth it. I'm thinking about doing these teasers until November. We'll see :D I love sharing them. I hope you are all enjoying these small and awesome teasers from Cress :) See all the previous Cress Tuesdays here. <3 Have you read it yet?


~

Cress accepted the hand that pulled her to her feet. She turned to Thorne and gathered her courage to give him a small, non-theatrical kiss on the cheek, but as soon as she bent toward him, blood rushed to her head. The world flipped over. White spots pricked at her eyesight, and she collapsed into the sand.


~


Oh, how I loved Cress in this book. Though things aren't going well for her.

Huge thank you to Marissa Meyer and Macmillan Kids for letting me share these gorgeous Cress Tuesday teasers with you all. <3 They are the bestest. Thank you so much. I hope you are all loving the teasers :D I know that I am loving finding them and sharing them with you all. If you haven’t yet read Cress, I hope these teasers are making you more excited about it. <3 I’m sharing all these teasers from my stunning hardcover of Cress. Well, from one of my copies. I might be owning a whole bunch of them :D

Monday, April 27, 2015

Cover Reveal: The Black Knife Novellas by Jodi Meadows

Ahh. Sharing the covers for all these four gorgeous novellas today. And oh, how they are stunning. I loved The Orphan Queen so much. And I am dying to know more about Black Knife in these novellas :D The first novella is The Hidden Prince. Which will be out on June 2nd. <3 I cannot wait! The second one, The Glowing Knight, is coming September 1st :D And the third, The Burning Hand, is coming December 1st. <3 It sounds so epic. And finally, The Black Knife, February 1st, most likely :D Oh, how I am excited for all four novellas. Most excited about the sequel, The Mirror King, coming out in March next year, though. <3 It will be the bestest. Sniffs. I'm just dying to know what happens next. So worried. Yet so excited, as I'm sure Jodi is writing it perfectly :D Also, Jodi Meadows is all kinds of glorious. You all need to follow her. She's the kindest. <3 I'm not sharing the summary for these four novellas, because, well, there aren't any. Hmph. I'm sharing Jodi's Amazon link below, though she is sharing all the pre-order links on her website. <3 What do you think of these? Aren't they awesome? :D I cannot wait for June.






The first of four novellas to The Orphan Queen, about the origin of the vigilante Black Knife. 
Also known as the Black Knife novellas.


Sunday, April 26, 2015

Swag Giveaway

Hi all you lovely people. <3 It's been too long since I've hosted my own giveaway. I can't afford to ship a book yet, but in a few months I shall be giving away some ARCs. For today, though, I'm giving away a swag pack :D It's open to everyone. There will be one winner. Some of this gorgeous swag is signed by the author. <3 And I think all of it looks oh so precious. Wanted to do this giveaway because you are all amazing. Thank you all for following my blog and twitter and everywhere and for always leaving so kind comments :) You guys are the bestest. Thank you for making blogging that much better. <3 Hope you won't think this price is too little :) Best of luck to you all. <3 You are able to earn a total of 24 entries :)

Rules.
International.
There will be one winner.
Must respond to email within 48 hours.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

In My Mailbox #182

Last week I read three books, this week I read three books. I'm good with that. Wishing I could read more, but also feel like I never have time for reading these days. Ack. And when I read, I fall so far behind on my laptop :p Yet reading is still the best. Anyway. This week has been good. Furious 7 last Saturday was all kinds of amazing. I loved it a whole lot. This week I also saw The Avengers: Age of Ultron, which I also loved, but was angry about that one person dying. Ugh. I didn't get that many books this week, sigh, but I did get a whole bunch of movies that I ordered. Ack. So much love for it all, though. I still haven't heard anything from the damn hospital. It has been four weeks since my x-ray. I should have been in surgery by now. I hate waiting. Because I still cannot go swimming. Or training. I just. I want it done with. But only one woman I can talk to at the hospital, and she is never ever picking up the phone. We have tried so many times. I'm getting sick of it. Ugh. Shall try again this upcoming week. Fingers crossed. This week I read Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke, which sort of really sucked. I posted another awesome Cress Tuesday. <3 I'm waiting on A Curious Tale of the In-Between. I shared the gooorgeous covers for A Gathering of Shadows. <3 And then I decided to re-read The Burning Sky and then The Perilous Sea :D Oh, how I love these books. Sigh. Go buy them. What did you get this week?



Rook. I'm really curious about this book. And so nervous. Just hoping that it will be amazing for me :D
Legend. Ah. I had to get two of this goorgeous graphic novel edition. It is gorgeous. Loved the book.
Harrison Squared. Thank you so much Leah at Tor Books for this one. <3 Have not heard of it before, at all, but it do look pretty good. Not sure when I will find the time to read it.. hopefully one day soon :)
Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures. YAY for pre-orders :D Precious arrived today. Reading soon. <3
The Golden Compass: Lyra. Meeek. I want all the movie merch from this. But it has been so many years since it was. Sobs. But I found this on Amazon :D And Lyra is oh so cute. I love it a whole lot. <3 Sigh.
Frozen. I had to buy these figures. Though they are not as pretty as I thought. Hmph. But still a bit cute.
Joyride Swag. Eeek! Thank you Anna. <3 The personalized bookplate is the sweetest, hih, I love it :)
The Storyspinner Swag. Thank you so much Becky. <3 You are the sweetest. The map is so gorgeous :D


Supernatural. Ah. I'm blaming Courtney Summers for this purchase. She loves this show SO MUCH. And I want to love it too. I shall start watching it shortly :D I did see some of it years ago, which I liked, but then I stopped watching. Sigh. So hoping that I shall love it more this time. I'm really excited to start.
Toy Story. The gorgeous short-movies :D I have not seen them all. So I'm excited to see these too, hih.
Gone Girl. I have seen so so many love this movie. So I had to buy it. And I shall watch it pretty soonish.
Fast and Furious. I saw all of these last week. But I needed to have them in blu-ray, hih :D So pretty.
A whole bunch of games. All of these where on sale. So I had to get them, lol :D And omg. The Golden Compass! I had ordered two. I got only one :( but they have ordered me a new one. But out of stock. So I worry I won't get it.. sniffs. I need two of this game, lol. One to never touch, hah. It looks awesome.
Mad Max. I saw the trailer for Fury Road. Excited for it. So figured I could watch these movies first :D
Mamma Mia! When I re-watched this gorgeous movie weeks ago, I knew I needed to own this. Love.
Mockingjay Part 1. I had to buy this CD. As I own all the other cds. Now just missing the Score edition :)


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, April 24, 2015

Book Recommendation: The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas


Oh. I didn't realize how much I needed to re-read these precious books right now. I first read The Perilous Sea last June. And I loved it oh so much. Titus has such a huge piece of my heart. I loved these books back then. But now. Having read this a second time. Oh. My love has grown so much more. I love them even more now. They just get better for each time I read them. And I love that so much. The writing is all kinds of gorgeous. The plot is so exciting. And the characters are the very best. Sigh.

I can't begin to say how much I loved The Perilous Sea. It is such a perfect sequel to The Burning Sky. We get to know so much. And it is so exciting and interesting. Every single thing. Though I was worried to re-read this beauty. Because I remembered the heartbreak. And thought it might bother me this second time. But then. I didn't remember all the details. And it didn't bother me. Sure, it still hurts my heart like crazy, but it lasts so short, and it is done so well. Yeah. I found it to be much more beautiful now.

But how to talk about this book. I just wish to share a bit about why I love it so much. And try my best to convince you all to read it. Because you really should. These two books are perfection. The romance is the very best. But everything else is amazing too. And oh, I just need you all to read these books. If you still haven't read The Perilous Sea, you really must. No need to wait. The ending is sort of cruel, but not that bad. And this book. It's so worth it. You need to love Titus as much as I do. Well, almost as much :D

There are some issues with the romance in this book. But it only lasts for such a small moment of time. And in most of the book the romance is even better and so much more than the first book. Sigh. It truly is the best part. Titus and Iolanthe are the most perfect couple. Sniffs. I love them both so much. And their romance.. it is so gorgeous. I wanted more of it at all times. They are such great friends too. Even though there is heartbreak, they still love each other so much. And it is so sweet. And sad. And perfect.

I shall not discuss much of the plot in this book. Because I can't describe it all. But damn. This book is all over the place. And in the best way. So much is happening. And I loved reading every moment of it. The Bane is stronger than ever. Doing such awful things. There are so many other characters in this book too. And I love them all to pieces. Especially their closest friends. Especially Cooper. He seemed like such a sweet young boy. Curious to know what happens to him after this book. And all the other boys.

We learn a bunch more about Titus and Iolanthe. And I loved that so much. They are the best characters. Well, Titus is still my favorite, but I still adore them both so much. I love how Titus calls her Fairfax most of the time. They are both so damn cute together. And I love the humor in this book. It is funny. And heartbreaking. And stunning. And ugh. Everything that happens in this book is perfection. Despite my small heartbreak. And even that I really loved reading about. Because it all made so much sense.

Sigh. I just cannot talk much about this book. Because I loved every single part of it. I loved reading about Titus. And his mission. And how much he loves his dead mom. And I'm so curious to get to know Dalbert more too, lol, hoping to see him in the third book. And Iolanthe. Sigh. She is just awesome. We learn more about her parents. And I loved that. Though a bit creepy too. Yet oh so awesome. I just love these characters so much. And I want only the best for them. Sniffs. I need more of them, though.

I can't say more about this book. Just that I love it so. And I'm so thrilled that I decided to re-read these two books. Because they are so special to me. And so damn perfect. Thank you for writing them Sherry. <3 You are awesome. But omg. I just do not want Titus to die. Please. I'm all kinds of worried. Ack. But I have hope. Probably. Dying to read The Immortal Heights. Which might happen next week. Oh. See you then. Though I do wish this series would be a whole lot longer than just three books :D Need more Titus.


Thursday, April 23, 2015

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas


You have all read this book by now, yes? Because if not, then you really must. This is my third time reading The Burning Sky. And I love it a little bit more each time I read it. And oh, how I love this book. I love it so so much. It is very precious to me. The writing is all kinds of stunning. The story is amazing. The characters are the bestest. The small romance is so good. And Titus. Swoon. He is the very best boy. I'm so glad that I decided to re-read these books right now. Because I needed it. This is amazing.

I'm not sure how to talk about this gorgeous book. I'm not going to share all the details. But there are some things I would like to mention again, hih. First starting with how amazing it is. How amazing the writing is. Sherry Thomas is all kinds of awesome. And I'm so excited to read more books by her. She is also one of the kindest people I know. Anyway. Her writing is the best. And I love that so much. And I love how The Burning Sky is told from two point of views. Titus and Iolanthe. They are both perfect.

My favorite in this book is Titus. Because damn. That boy is the bestest. I love how smart he is. How protective he is. And how lonely he is. It broke my heart the most. He has no one before Iolanthe shows up. And oh. I loved getting to know Titus. I loved it so much. He is amazing. And I loved getting to see the sad parts of him. It was the best. And oh so heartbreaking. Sniffs. Yet, yeah. The very best. Titus is an amazing character. And I must know more about him. Because he is oh so amazing. Sniffs. Love him.

But I also love Iolanthe to pieces too. I love her Elemental powers. How amazing she is at it. Sigh. It's awesome to read about. I love how she first meets Titus. How she loves him right away, lol, but then hates him for a bit. I'm not sure I approved of that. Yet I did understand it. Somewhat. Thankfully, the hate part did not last long, and it was not bad to read about at all. I loved getting to know Iolanthe. Her past, her present. About her guardian too. I'm curious about him. I'm dying to know more of Iolanthe.

What I loved the most in this book is how Iolanthe has to pretend to be a boy for such a long time. It was amazing to read about. I loved how well done it was. How she was amazing at it. How no one noticed. How Titus helped her with it. And sigh. The all-boys school was great to read about. I loved getting to know the different boys there too. Though I do wish they had been closer to Titus. Sniffs. But he is still sort of friends with a few of them, which I loved. I loved her new name, Fairfax. So awesome.

There is so much to love about this book. And I cannot begin to mention it all. But damn. There is magic. And it is fantastic. There is a romance. And it is heartbreaking and swoon-worthy. There are some really bad people. Some whom hurt Titus. Which broke my heart. Ugh. Yet it was the best to read about. There are so many awesome people in this book too. But oh. Titus's mission. It is the most awful one. I do not want him to die. But I'm starting to think he might end up dead by the end. Ack. Hope not.

The Burning Sky is such an amazing book. And I couldn't have loved it more. The characters are oh so amazing. The plot is stunning. I loved reading about everything. And I just wish this book had been even longer, lol. But now I shall re-read The Perilous Sea, and I cannot wait. But also nervous, as I remember a lot of sad moments. Sniffs. Yet oh so excited. Anyway. You all need to read The Burning Sky. Because it is amazing. And so perfect. And you all need to meet Titus right away. You will not regret reading this.


Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Cover Reveal: A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab

This book. I am dying to read this book. I read A Darker Shade of Magic just two weeks ago, and I loved it so damn much. It was so exciting and different and oh so good. I think this sequel sounds all kinds of perfect. The summary is goooorgeous. But I am so worried too. I hope that Kell and Lila will end up together. Because they are both perfect. And I ship them so badly. Ack. Just worried there might be a triangle coming. I think not, but you never know. Either way, I do know that I will love this sequel :D And oh my gosh. These covers! It is the US cover. And the UK cover. And they are both perfection. Oh so gorgeous. I love them both! And Lila is on both :D I love her so much. Sniffs. Yeah. These covers are awesome. I cannot wait to own them both. <3 Also, Victoria is all kinds of awesome. You should all go follow her. And read her books if you haven't yet. <3 There isn't possible to pre-order this book yet, but adding links below to where they will show up, sometime :) Just, oh. I cannot wait for A Gathering of Shadows. Wishing it was out sooner than February 23rd 2016. The wait is going to be torture. Ack! But, thankfully, the book will be over five hundred pages, and that is well worth the wait, I think :D It shall be all kinds of epic. And I am dying to read this book. So much. <3 What do you think of these two covers?


Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games—an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries—a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again—meaning that another London must fall.




Waiting on Wednesday #184

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

A CURIOUS TALE OF THE IN-BETWEEN BY LAUREN DESTEFANO

Goodreads Description:

Pram Bellamy is special—she can talk to ghosts. She doesn’t have too many friends amongst the living, but that’s all right. She has her books, she has her aunts, and she has her best friend, the ghostly Felix.

Then Pram meets Clarence, a boy from school who has also lost a parent and is looking for answers. Together they arrive at the door of the mysterious Lady Savant, who promises to help. But this spiritualist knows the true nature of Pram’s power, and what she has planned is more terrifying than any ghost.

Lauren DeStefano is beloved by critics and readers alike, and her middle grade debut is lyrical, evocative and not to be missed.


Hardcover, 240 pages
Expected publication: September 1st 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pre-Order here and here.

THIS BOOK IS GOING TO BE SO AMAZING. Sobs. I just wish I could read it right away. And I wish it would be longer. Sigh. I just. That cover! I'm dying. It is so pretty. And this middle grade book just sounds so perfect. I love the summary so much. I simply cannot wait to meet Pram. And Clarence. And to read about the amazing plot too. Sigh. I do love a good ghost story ;) So so excited for this one. And oh my gosh. I just saw a month ago that her name is Pram Bellamy :D Like, you know, from The 100, hih. <3 So now I am loving this little girl even more than before. Sigh. I cannot wait to read it. It will be amazing.
What are you waiting for on this ghosty Wednesday?

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Cress Tuesday #78

WINTER! The cover is finally here :D And my gosh. It is so pretty. <3 See the full size version here. So perfect. And the summary is so amazing too. Love it! I cannot wait to read these 800 pages. <3 I'm so excited. I know that Winter will be amazing. <3 Because I really loved Cinder, Scarlet, Cress & Fairest. I also cannot wait for all the other upcoming books by Marissa; especially Heartless :D So excited for everything that she writes. I will be re-reading these books pretty soon, I think, because I have waited more than long enough already. Ack. And I love them so much. Just wishing it was November already. Sigh. Waiting for Winter has taken forever, but I know the wait will be worth it. I'm thinking about doing these teasers until November. We'll see :D I love sharing them. I hope you are all enjoying these small and awesome teasers from Cress :) See all the previous Cress Tuesdays here. <3 Have you read it yet?


~

Cress crouched in the corner of the van, gripping her knees against her chest. She was trembling, despite the sweltering heat. She was thirsty and hungry and her shins were bruised where they'd collided with the van's ledge. Though she'd pulled down the bolts of fabric to sit on, the constant jerking of the truck on the uneven ground made her backside ache. The night was so dark she couldn't see her hand in front of her face, but sleep wouldn't come. Her thoughts were too erratic as she tried to discern what these people wanted with her. She'd played the moments before her capture over in her head a hundred times, and Jina's expression had definitely lit up when Cress had confirmed Jina's suspicions.
She was a shell. A worthless shell. Why had Jina sensed value in that?

~


Cress getting kidnapped was pretty awful. I loved it.

Huge thank you to Marissa Meyer and Macmillan Kids for letting me share these gorgeous Cress Tuesday teasers with you all. <3 They are the bestest. Thank you so much. I hope you are all loving the teasers :D I know that I am loving finding them and sharing them with you all. If you haven’t yet read Cress, I hope these teasers are making you more excited about it. <3 I’m sharing all these teasers from my stunning hardcover of Cress. Well, from one of my copies. I might be owning a whole bunch of them :D

Monday, April 20, 2015

Review: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman

Ugh. This book. I wish I could say it was all kinds of amazing. That I loved it. But I really, really did not. I had mixed feelings about book one, a three star for me a year ago, and yet I still wanted to read this sequel, as I was so curious. But damn. I did not like it. So I'm going with two stars for this one. Sad face.

To be honest, I'm not even sure why I'm giving it a two star, and not a one star. Because I'm not sure I liked anything about this book. But at the same time, I did not hate it like I have hated a bunch of other books. It was not the worst I have read. But it was so far from all the amazing books that I have read. Ugh.

I had seen so many say that they loved this one. That the romance is so good. So I had hoped that maybe I would like it too. But damn. I did not. I knew from the very beginning that I would dislike it like crazy. The writing is not good. Not for me. It is written in a bad way. Gretchen spends most time just thinking and thinking and thinking. Not much talking at all. And when there is talking, not one time did it feel real. I didn't care for any of it. The characters seemed so awful. None seemed honest or real. It was really bad. Plus the book is all kinds of boring. Which I was oh so disappointed it. I wanted so much more from this plot. Instead I got a really, truly, boring one. Ugh. I felt like nothing ever happened in this book. So annoying.

I'm not sure how to explain all my feelings for this book. I'm not even sure I feel like talking about the plot and characters at all. Because it all annoyed me. I didn't like any of it. And it makes me so sad. But angry too. I wanted this book to be amazing. But it wasn't. Not at all. And I do not see why anyone liked it. Sigh. Because nothing happened. Nothing. Even the supposed torture didn't make me feel anything. Because it was done so badly and nothing was shown and I did not care one bit. It was so irritating.

Because I like feeling things when I read books. I like caring for the plot. For the characters. For the things that happen. But in this sequel. In this book I felt not a single thing. I didn't care for Gretchen. Or Daniel. I found their romance to be silly and all they seemed to do about it was sometimes kiss. They even had this silly fight, sort of. I didn't care. And I didn't even want to, because it was so silly. Their romance wasn't epic. It didn't make me believe in them. Because it was boring. Oh so very boring.

I can't even say that I liked Gretchen. All she do is cry. So many times. And stop feeling things. And think about Hitler. And think think think think. Ugh. It bothered me so much. I cared nothing for her. I didn't find her brave. I found her to be a bit silly, but she isn't the worst character I have read about either. I just did not care for her. So boring. And Daniel. I didn't even care for him. As I said, nothing happens in this book. No reason for me to care for Daniel. I sort of liked him. But I didn't love him.

There is also a whole bunch of new characters in this book. I did not see the point of any of them. Ugh. I just. I can't with how much I did not like this book. All the time I wanted it to be over. I should have DNFed it, but I didn't, because I have the eARC via Edelweiss, and I had paid a bunch for my hardcover. So I finished it. And now I regret buying it. Ugh. Which does not happen very often. Sigh. I just really truly wish this book had been better. But it wasn't. No matter when I read this book, it will not change.

The plot. This book takes place in 1933. And as I have said a bunch of times, nothing happens. They are running away, hiding. Then going back to Germany, and hiding some more. And doing a bunch of boring things. Ugh. Then there is Hitler. Whom we see in this book for a really tiny moment. I didn't even care a tiny bit about him either. He didn't do anything awful or bad. Just a bunch of booooring things. And that is probably why I was so disappointed. I wanted this book to be awful and heartbreaking. It wasn't.

I do want to read more about Hitler, well, I want to read about the war. I want to read about all the goddamn awful things that happened to all the innocent people. That is what I want to read about. Not this boring book where a couple of people die and nothing ever happens. I wanted so much more. Sigh. So yeah. I was very disappointed in this book. So I would not recommend that anyone reads it. Do as you please. Anyway. Thank you to Balzer + Bray for Edelweiss auto-approval. <3 It means the world to me.


Saturday, April 18, 2015

In My Mailbox #181

This week has been curious. My bump that I mentioned last week is gone :D I cannot tell you how pleased I am that it wasn't another Abscess. <3 it probably would have been one, if not for the fact that I decided to murder it before it was fully ready :p Which I'm glad I did, lol. I have been calling the hospital every day, but the woman is never there to answer the phone. I have been waiting forever for my surgery, and I still haven't gotten any news about it. I should have gotten it early last week. I'm so tired of waiting. Ugh. But other than that I had an amazing week. I read great books. I have won some awesome things, coming soon. I talk to the most amazing authors and people online. <3 And I watched The Fast and the Furious 1-6 with my sister. Mostly the movies sucked, lol, but I think I loved movies 4-6. Probably. We are seeing number 7 tonight, which I'm really excited about. This week's posts. I read all of Walk on Earth a Stranger last saturday. <3 Then posted another Cress Tuesday :) And I'm waiting on The Witch Hunter. <3 Then I read Storm Siren, which I really liked. Also read the sequel, Siren's Fury, which I also enjoyed a lot :) I shared the cover for Darkthaw. <3 I'm pleased with this week. Angry with the hospital, ugh. But happy about everything else. Got a few books. <3 What did you get this week?



Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke. I might read this next, I think. I did like book one :) Excited for it.
The Wondrous and the Wicked. Finally owning them all :D Shall start this series someday soonish.
All the Rage. I loved this book a whole lot. <3 And this hardcover is just all kinds of stunning. Sigh.
Spirit Animals: The Evertree. I adore Marie. So I got this. I own 2 of 7. Ack. Must get the rest, I think.
Fairest. Now owning two of this International Paperback edition. <3 Might get a third one. Maaaybe.
The School for Good and Evil: A World Without Princes. This US paperback is all kinds of stunning. I loved this book so damn much. But oh. Preview of book three :D Two chapters. Agatha and Tedros in one. <3 And oh, it is breaking my heart, because I ship them so much. I need book three right away.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, April 17, 2015

Cover Reveal: Darkthaw by Kate A. Boorman

I'm really, really excited about Darkthaw. Because I adored book one, Winterkill, a whole lot :D And I think this sequel sounds so awesome. And ugh. I just really need more of Emmeline and Kane. <3 I need more of their really awesome romance. Sigh. Fingers crossed it will be amazing in this sequel :) And ack, the plot sounds so great too! Though I worry that Emmeline might leave somewhere without Kane.. sniffs. I hope not. Either way, I cannot wait to read Darkthaw. October 13th better arrive soon :) And damn. This cover is so gorgeous! I love the font. I love the girl. I love the ice. Yeah. It is pretty amazing. I can't wait to see it in person too, some months from now. If any of you haven't read Winterkill yet, I really think you should do so right away. It is a different book. And oh so good. But. Uhm. There are three different summaries for this book. I have shared the Goodreads one below. But see the Amazon one here. The author's website one here. I love all three of them :) What do you think?


For as long as Emmeline can remember, she’s longed to leave the isolated world of the settlement and explore the wilderness that calls to her in her dreams. And now that the Brotherhood has fallen, she will finally, finally get that chance. With First Peoples guide Matisa at her side, Emmeline rallies a brave group to join her on her quest into the unknown, including her beloved Kane and his two younger brothers.

But the journey soon proves far more dangerous than Emmeline anticipated—with warring clans, slavers, colonists, disease, and natural disasters, seemingly at every turn. After putting so many lives in danger, she starts to doubt everything she once knew. Did she make the right choice to leave the settlement—and can her relationship with Kane survive the ordeal? Matisa insists that to set things right and to fight the evil that is bringing all of this danger and turmoil to the forest, Emmeline must journey to the land of the First Peoples—even if that means leaving Kane behind.




Thursday, April 16, 2015

Review: Siren's Fury by Mary Weber

I'm very happy that I read these two books now. Because I really enjoyed them both. Siren's Fury did give me some issues, but I liked reading it at all times. And that ending was pretty much epic. So I'm ending up giving this book a four star too, as I really liked it a lot. As with book one, the writing is pretty awesome.

I'm not sure how to describe this book. It starts right where book one ends. And I liked that, liked that it didn't pick up ages after. But then, it couldn't have, hah. But oh, so much awful happens in this book. So many bad things. Evil things. And heartbreaking things. Yet I loved reading every single moment of it. So great.

Siren's Fury is once again told from the point of Nym, whom I still adore like crazy. Well. She sort of turns a bit crazy in this book. Changes a little. But at the same time she doesn't. I loved how she always tries to protect and save Eogan. I loved that a lot. Though at times she is a bit cold in this book. But I didn't mind, because she doesn't truly change. She is still the amazing girl I grew to love in book one. She's still pretty fierce and awesome. Even though in the very beginning of the book she loses her powers. They get taken from her. And that broke my heart so much. Because she could have done so much if they hadn't been taken. Sobs. But I also loved that they were, because she had to do things in a different way. And I really liked that a lot.

There are so many characters to read about in this book. We get to know Rasha a whole lot more. And gosh, I loved that. I found her to be all kinds of amazing. And I really,  really wish to know more about her. She's an awesome friend to Nym. Though she could have been a bit more honest in the beginning, sigh. But at the same time I didn't blame her. Either way, I really loved getting to know more about Rasha and seeing her and Nym grow closer. And reading about Rasha's power. It was so very amazing.

We also see a whole lot more of Myles. Shudders. I can't stand this man, lol. He is so awful to read about. Yet I grew to like him sometimes too. But he wants power way too much. Though reading about his power was pretty fascinating. And I wanted to know more. But ugh. I keep imagining him as Oswald in the new tv-series, Gotham. And it's making me despise him, hah. But I don't mind that at all. Myles is an awful person. So creepy. And he is in this book a lot. I kind of really loved reading about him. Ugh.

Then there is Draewulf. Whom I thought was an really amazing plot twist. He is creepy to read about. And I wanted to know more about him a whole lot. He is old. And a scary wolf. And it's so complicated. He has done such an awful thing. And I hated reading about him in Eogan's body. It was the worst. How he acted as him. The things he did. And ugh. Yet I still liked reading it a lot. Draewulf was so evil. And so interesting to read about. His daughter was awful too. Ugh. I just disliked them both a whole lot.

Eogan. Whom I still love the most. But oh. He is not in this book enough. His body his. But not him. And that hurt my heart so much. But at the same time, it didn't bother me too much, as I loved reading all the other things that happened, and this book took place in just about a week, so I didn't hate it. But yeah. I wish there had been more of Eogan. Sniffs. But when he is there it is the bestest. He is such an amazing characters. And I still ship him and Nym so hard. They are the cutest together. So much love.

I could talk for ages about the awesome characters in this book. But I shall stop now :D But know that I liked reading about them all. And I love that there is no hints at any love triangles in these books. I love that the plot is all kinds of exciting. That some few people have powers. How different everything is. That this book isn't like everyone else. Well. Some things are, but I liked those. I loved getting to see a new land, with a bunch of different people. I loved reading about them. Though I hated some too.

I can't begin to describe the story in this book. Just that it is awesome. And I loved reading it. And I  am dying for book three. Truly. Siren's Fury is an amazing sequel. It is full of exciting and horrible moments. The characters are so interesting and amazing. The writing is gorgeous. This book is different and I loved it. I think everyone will love this fantastic sequel. And I'm just so glad that I read it. Sigh. But yeah. The wait for book three is going to be torture. Ugh. I must know all the things right away :)

Huge thank you to the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for approving my request to read this book via Netgalley :) I'm so glad that I read it. And I cannot wait to own my hardcover of it in June. This book is so gorgeous looking. Sigh. But oh. Now I am truly dying for book three. And waiting for it is going to be torture. Wishing I could read it right away. I must know what happens next :D I think you should all read Siren's Fury. Because it is an amazing sequel. If you haven't read book one yet, then you must do so now.