Sunday, December 31, 2017

Best Books of 2017

So excited to be sharing about the best books that I read this year :D I have read a total of 100 books this year, where 29 of those were re-reads, and the rest were new reads. And while I did read a lot of books this year, sadly a lot of them were not that great. Ahh. And I actually loved more re-reads than I loved new books. Ugh. I'm hoping that will be different in 2018, as I wish to read more amazing books so badly. But even though I did not read tons of amazing books this year, I still read some that I loved like crazy. Yesss. And I'm sharing about those here. Kind of listed in the way of the books I loved the most. I'm only sharing twelve books, though, as these were my favorites of all the books I read this year. I adored them all very much. Not all came out this year, though. Some have yet to be published. But I read some early copies, and loved them so. Have you read any of these books yet? And if so, which did you love the most? :D

My Goodreads Challenge. My Goodreads Year in Books.


1. Furyborn. The most fierce girls and the most gorgeous story. Adore Claire. I loved this new book so.
2. Renegades. Thrilling book about superheroes and villains. Loved these characters a whole bunch too.
3. Lord of Shadows. These characters and this story and this world simply kill me with each book. Love.


4. Flashfall. Read this one twice this year. Such a big favorite. Stunning world and gorgeous romance.
5. Quests for Glory. This series is simply the very best. Heartbreaking and beyond amazing. Love it so.
6. Unearthed. Adored this book. An awesome space story with great characters and a lovely romance.


7. La Belle Sauvage. So thrilled to have read another Philip book. Amazing story, and I adore this world.
8. Wires and Nerve. I love this world beyond words. These characters are the very best. And I adore Iko.
9. The Traitor Prince. Such a stunning story. Beyond heartbreaking, but so so many amazing characters.


10. One Dark Throne. It broke me, this book. Such amazing characters, and love the story so much.
11. Tess of the Road. This book was all kinds of heartbreaking yet so good too. Simply love this world.
12. The Dragon's Price. It surprised me how much I loved this. Story and characters were awesome.

HAPPY NEW YEAR :D

Saturday, December 30, 2017

In My Mailbox #321

Hope you all had an amazing Christmas :D I had a great time with my family. <3 And got a few awesome gifts from them too :) Small family, though, so not many gifts. But all so perfect even so. But oh, I have had the worst week this week. Here I thought my health couldn't possibly get any worse this year. I was wrong. I have gotten the cough from hell. It hurts every time I cough, and I cough all day and most of the night too. I now have my small fever all day long, and not just at night. And all of me just aches. I hate this. I hate being sick so badly. Sobs. I just wish I could feel okay for once. Sniffs. But anyway. Christmas have still been awesome. I'm just a bit depressed over being so sick. As it sucks. I didn't get that much mail this week, as there weren't many days of mail, but still got a bit of awesome :D And blogged a little too. And read a little. Hoping to read lots more next year, eee. I just need to feel better first, as I currently do nothing, because I'm in too much pain. Hmph. Anyway. New blog posts. I shared my second review of Daughter of the Pirate King :) Then I shared my Best Re-Reads of 2017 :D Which were many. <3 This week I'm waiting on The Fates Divide :D Then I shared my review of Daughter of the Siren Queen, which was disappointing. Aw. I'm hoping that I will finally start getting better in 2018. Crossing all my fingers. As this past year have been the very worst.Can't take more. I hope you are all having the best Holidays :D



Shadow Weaver. This is out next week; and it's pretty awesome :D And so gorgeous. Liked this one a lot.
Pop Figures. A bunch of Stranger Things pop figures :D Adore them all. And Clarke too :D Bought on BF.
Plush. Couldn't help but share this one, lol. Christmas present from grandma :D I love him the very most.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Review: Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

I have no idea where to begin with this book. I was expecting to love this second book a whole lot, as I had heard lots of people love it. Was promised romance and exciting moments. That was not what I got at all. And I'm so beyond disappointed in this book. Sadly, giving this one a two star. Sigh. Wishing it could be higher.

But I have so many reasons for disliking this book. Probably not going to share all of it, as I kind of just want to be done with this book. But will share most of why I did not like it one bit. And I'm so sad about it, because I really enjoyed Daughter of the Pirate King. It was excellent. And this sequel was most definitely not.

I have to say that when I see people who loved this book, I have no idea how we even read the same thing. As I cannot imagine loving this story at all. Ugh. I mean, it is good to have different opinions. And I don't mind that at all. I'm just really disappointed right now, as this book could have been epic. And it was so not. Really liked the writing in book one, but it was so different in this sequel. At least it felt like that to me. I didn't connect to the story at all. And the writing bothered me from start to finish. Which makes me so sad, because I had no issues with the first book. And with this sequel, all I had was issues. In book one, I loved the main character so much. Alosa was fierce and kind and so awesome. In this one? Hahaha. I hated her. For many reasons.

I don't even know where to begin. There is so much about this book that made me so angry. I cannot deal with how this book made me feel. And none of those feelings were good. So I shall start by saying what I liked about this book; as there were a few things I did enjoy, which is why this is a two star and not a one star. I found the setting to be interesting, I liked the pirate parts. I liked getting to know about the sirens. It wasn't that good, but it was exciting at times. Some of the characters were great. But yeah. That was all.

The rest of this book was not good. I mentioned after my re-read of book one, that the reason for why I didn't fully love that book was because of the weird jealousy things in it. With Alosa kissing someone that wasn't Riden. And then it was even worse in this book. No love triangle. But Alosa kisses someone again. It bothered me. And then the beginning of the book. Alosa has been ignoring Riden for two whole months. Kept him inside the ship, never seeing him. Then first time seeing him again, she lies that she has a lover.

And she doesn't tell him differently until the end of the book, months later. What the hell. I hated this girl. I hated her beyond words. She was great in book one. But in this one? Not. She was selfish and petty and rude as hell. I couldn't stand her. She treated Riden like total crap. He did not deserve that at all. And she treated her crew, aka her family, like crap most of the time. They could have been so interesting to read about, but not once did I see her have a good talk with them. And not once did I get to know any of them.

I simply couldn't stand Alosa. She was a total asshole in this book. Which is a word I have stopped using in my reviews. But I couldn't ignore it this time. Because, gosh, how I hated this girl. I'm not mentioning all the reasons for why she bothered me, as I do not have the energy for that. Oh, wait. There was another thing, when someone leaves her, for a very very obvious reason, and she gets so mad and angry at this person, and she doesn't let it go. Like. How stupid can she be? I thought she was way smarter than this.

But she was not. Alosa was not smart in this book at all. She was so selfish and simply all kinds of awful. I hated how she was with Riden. He loves her. And he is obvious about it. Yet she claims not to see that. Hahaha. And she claims that she hates him, and blah blah blah. I got tired of it real quick. There are hints of romance in this book. But it was not romantic. It wasn't swoony. It was simply not good. Alosa was too much of an asshole for this romance to be good. She ruined it at every moment, and for no reason at all.

I'm not going to say more about this book. Already written more than I wanted to. I just. It makes me so angry. And now I just want to forget about it. But yeah, big thank you to Kelly for trading this ARC to me. It's precious to me, as it is gorgeous, but gosh, how I hated this story. Daughter of the Siren Queen was incredibly disappointing. And I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone. Yet I have seen many love it, so I guess most people will. But I really did not. This book does have a lot of pirates, death and sirens though.


Waiting on Wednesday #324

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

THE FATES DIVIDE (Carve the Mark #2) BY VERONICA ROTH

Goodreads Description:

In the second book of the Carve the Mark duology, globally bestselling Divergent author Veronica Roth reveals how Cyra and Akos fulfill their fates. The Fates Divide is a richly imagined tale of hope and resilience told in four stunning perspectives.

Fate brought them together. Now it will divide them.

The lives of Cyra Noavek and Akos Kereseth are ruled by their fates, spoken by the oracles at their births. The fates, once determined, are inescapable.

Akos is in love with Cyra, in spite of his fate: He will die in service to Cyra’s family. And when Cyra’s father, Lazmet Noavek—a soulless tyrant, thought to be dead—reclaims the Shotet throne, Akos believes his end is closer than ever.

As Lazmet ignites a barbaric war, Cyra and Akos are desperate to stop him at any cost. For Cyra, that could mean taking the life of the man who may—or may not—be her father. For Akos, it could mean giving his own. In a stunning twist, the two will discover how fate defines their lives in ways most unexpected.


Hardcover, 528 pages
Expected publication: April 10th 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books
Pre-Order here and here

Ahhh! I am SO excited about this book :D I enjoyed Carve the Mark a whole bunch, and I am so beyond dying to know what happens next with these amazing characters. Sigh. Loved the world too. But gosh, I need both these main characters to survive this series. Hmph. Pretty please. This romance could be epic.
What are you waiting for on this fateful Wednesday?

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Best Re-Reads of 2017

I could not resist doing a best re-reads post this year. Because I re-read more five star books this year then I read new ones. Ack. I'm going to have read 100 books this year, which I am super excited about, and 29 of those have been re-reads. Oh. I simply couldn't resist re-reading all of these lovely books. A lot of them so that I could read the next books in the series. And others just because I loved them so. Always going to be re-reading a lot of stunning books. Though I hope I will read a lot of amazing new books next year too. Fingers crossed. My Best Books of 2017 post will be up in one week. Ended up sharing the best 21 re-reads that I did this year. They are not in the right order, with how much I love them, as I love them all so so so much. And I loved re-reading these books so much. They are all so awesome. I have re-read more books that I love too, but not including them all. If you have still not read these yet, then get moving.

My Goodreads Challenge. My Goodreads Year in Books.


1. The Golden Compass. The beginning of this epic trilogy will never fail to be amazing. Love it tons.
2. The Subtle Knife. Gosh, getting to meet Will all over again is just the best feeling. Love these kids.
3. The Amber Spyglass. This ending will always kill me. And this book will always be the very best one.


4. Graceling. Katsa and Po are my favorite couple. I will always and forever love this book so so much.
5. Fire. The world in this story is beyond amazing. I adore Fire and Brigan more than I can say. So good.
6. Bitterblue. This is the saddest one of the three, yet still all kinds of perfect. I love these characters so.


7. The Scorpio Races. Eight time read, and can never get enough of this book. It's simply beyond lovely.
8. The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls. The book that started my love for Claire. Such a good story.
9. The Year of Shadows. This book is sad, fun and all kinds of amazing. Adore these characters so much.


10. The School for Good and Evil. Love the beginning of this so amazing series more than I can say.
11. A World Without Princes. This second book makes me hurt a lot, yet it's so good, and I love it so.
12. The Last Ever After. Best almost-final book. The romance ruined me. I love Agatha so very much.


13. Seraphina. This book about dragons is all kinds of stunning. Full of heart and such an amazing story.
14. Shadow Scale. Love this second book a whole bunch. Romance is small, yet it is still so very good.
15. The Forgetting. This book is a huge favorite of mine. Best romance. And such an amazing story too.


16. The Map to Everywhere. Been nearly a year since this re-read. Almost time for another go. Excited.
17. City of Thirst. I simply adore this amazing middle grade series. It is heartbreaking, fun and so good.
18. Lady Midnight. This book will always break my heart. But these characters will always be my favorite.


19. Three Dark Crowns. These three queens are fierce and brutal and I love them more than I can say.
20. Menagerie. This book is all kinds of heartbreaking. Yet I can't help but love it so. Amazing characters.
21. Nevernight. Despite my feelings for book two, I love this first book so much. Tric is the best character.

MERRY CHRISTMAS. <3

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Review: Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

This is my second time reading this lovely book. It's been a little over a year since I first read it, and I have been dying to read the sequel ever since. But I knew I would have to read this one once again first. And I'm thrilled that I did that. Because this book is all kinds of fun and awesome and I liked it a whole lot this time too.

It's still a four star for me, but only because I felt like a few things could have been done a little bit better. Will explain that shortly. There wasn't anything about this book that I hated. Though I do wish it had been longer. As I want so so much more about these very awesome characters. Getting to know them was amazing.

Daughter of the Pirate King is told from the point of view of the awesome Alosa. She is such a fierce person and I adored her beyond words. She's a pirate, and she is a very good one. This book begins with her getting herself taken prisoner by another pirate ship. She planned for them to take her, so that she could search this ship for an important map. Though she planned her capture, there is so much not going the way she expected it to. And I loved that so much. This book is all kinds of fun. A bit heartbreaking too, but not too much. Some death. Some fighting. Some kissing. I enjoyed the kissing scenes the very most. Sigh. But anyway. Alosa was such an amazing girl to get to know. She's all kinds of strong and brave. And the best at everything.

I do not think I'm going to write too much about this book this time. Just a little bit about why I love it so. First, the writing is all kinds of amazing. I had no trouble getting excited about this book and wanting to read more about it. Second, the characters were all kinds of perfect. The main ones are Alosa and Riden. And I adore these two the very most. Though there are other ones that were awesome to read about too. Some were all kinds of horrible. And other pirates were kind and lots of fun. They were all written so well.

The story in this book is about Alosa being captive on this pirate ship. She's being questioned by the very young first mate, Riden. He's the brother of the ship's captain, whom is also pretty young. And oh, how I enjoyed this story. The book moves fast and I loved that. There is a lot happening, even though most of the book takes place on a ship. Alosa is a captive for most of the time, but she's the best at escaping her cell. Her and Riden gets so close, they have the most lovely banter. I enjoyed every moment they had.

There is so much happening in this book. I'm not going to talk about it much more, simply because you need to read this book for yourself. Also because while a lot happens, it's also a pretty short book. Still so good, though. Such lovely writing and such an awesome story about pirates and a little bit of fantasy too. Alosa is keeping a secret, and this secret was simply incredible. I loved it so. And hoping there will be lots more of it in book two. Cannot wait. Also, the romance was so cute. Must have more of Alosa and Riden.

I would say that the reason for why I'm giving this book four stars instead of five is because of the small scenes of jealousy in the book. They weren't wrong, not really. And they weren't that bad. Not really. And there is no chance of a triangle happening at all. But it did hurt my heart a little bit, even so, to read about Riden being jealous, and reading about something that Alosa had to do. It wasn't bit at all. But it was still big enough for me. But even so. I still loved this book. Just didn't love every scene as much as I wanted.

If you still haven't read this book, then you really must read it now. It's such a stunning story and it is all kinds of fun too. The romance is so good, and I cannot wait to read more about it. The characters are the very best. I adore Alosa and Riden so much. Hoping I will love them even more in the final book. Eee. I'm excited to start it next, finally. Daughter of the Pirate King is such an awesome book. And I am thrilled to say that I enjoyed so much both times that I read it. Do let me know what you thought of this lovely book.


In My Mailbox #320

This week have been pretty busy and pretty exhausting too. Haven't had much time for reading, as the days are going by so fast. I'm blaming the holidays. Spending a lot of time with family these days. Loving that, though. But still going to read at least two more books this year :D Already halfway done with one of those, so yay. I will make it to 100 books read this year then. Pleased with that. Didn't get much mail this week, but still in love with all of it. Will be getting some amazing books in January, and I cannot wait. <3 So excited. Health still sucks the most, and I'm not doing the best. But trying to stay positive. Ugh. Also, my laptop that turned dead in the beginning of November, which could not be fixed, and I got my money back, and then had to pay for back up of my files, and then had to wait for that. Well. I finally got the back up in the mail yesterday. Yesss. And it seems like all my files are on it :D I am feeling very happy about this. I mean, it took forever and ever, but finally got all my files back. Yay. Have been pretty heartbroken without all my things for so long. Hmph. But now it's back. So feeling a bit more happy about life at the moment. Even despite my shitty health. Also, it is Christmas :D EEE! I am very happy about Christmas; always :D Have bought lots of presents for my family, and I'm excited for them to open everything. So yeah. Mostly had a good week :) Gah. Forgot about sharing my blog posts for this week. <3 I shared the gorgeous cover for Furyborn :D Eee. And posted my review of Tokoyo, The Samurai's Daughter. This week I'm waiting on Reclaiming Shilo Snow :) Sharing my Best Re-Reads of 2017 post tomorrow. <3



The Book of Dust. Eee, thank you so much to the awesome Norwegian publisher for this :D So gorgeous.
A Darker Shade of Magic. Finally got my third edition; the regular US collector's version :D It's so pretty.
Your Name. I have seen so many love this one; hope I will too. Will be watching it in English, though :D
Rapunzel's World. I know. I own so many Tangled books. I can't help it. Love the movie+show. So lovely.
Christmas Card. Thank you so much Beth for this gorgeous Christmas card. <3 You are the best. Hugs.
Shadow Weaver Swag. YAY! Thank you so much MarcyKate for this amazing pre-order offer :D Love it.
Supernatural. Eee, I'm in love with this awesome Castiel plush. And some other very lovely things too :D
Pop Figures. The last of my Thor figures :D They are so so lovely. And a bit Harry Potter too. Love these.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday #323

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

RECLAIMING SHILO SNOW (The Evaporation of Sofi Snow #2)
BY MARY WEBER

Goodreads Description:

Trapped on the ice-planet of Delon, gamer girl Sofi and Ambassador Miguel have discovered that nothing is what it seems, including their friends. On a quest to rescue her brother, Shilo, a boy everyone believes is dead, they must now escape and warn Earth of Delon’s designs on humanity. Except the more they unearth of the planet and Sofi’s past, the more they feel themselves unraveling, as each new revelation has Sofi questioning the very existence of reality.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Sofi’s mom, Inola, is battling a different kind of unraveling: a political one that could cost lives, positions, and a barely-rebuilt society, should they discover the deal made with the Delonese.

But there’s a secret deeper than all that. One locked away inside Sofi and ticking away with the beginnings, endings, and answers to everything. Including how to save humanity.


Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication: March 6th 2018 by Thomas Nelson
Pre-Order here and here

I'm pretty excited about this one :D While I didn't fully love the first book, I did like it a bunch, and I am very excited about reading what happens next. Plus, it looks gorgeous. And sounds awesome. And I adore Mary. Fingers crossed that I will end up loving this second book a whole bunch :) And I think I will.
What are you waiting for on this discovering Wednesday?

Monday, December 18, 2017

Review: Tokoyo, The Samurai's Daughter by Faith L. Justice

I have no idea where to begin with this book. I was asked by the publisher if I wanted to read and review it, and while I don't do that very often, I decided to give this book a try, because it looks pretty awesome and sounded exciting too. I had hoped that this would be an exciting and epic adventure. But it was not. Not even a little bit.

Which is a bit disappointing. My review won't be very long, as this book took me less than an hour to read. It was very short, and not that good either. Giving it two stars, as I felt like it could have been a great story, if only it had been written a bit better, and been a lot longer. Instead it ended up being pretty much of a disappointment.

I shall start with the writing. I suppose that it wasn't all bad, but it was not a writing for me at all. It's set in year 1300 something, in Japan. I felt nothing about this history, because the writing wasn't good, and nothing was described. The book is really truly all kinds of short, and so nothing really happens. This is not a book to read if you wish to read about old Japan. I don't know how old this main girl was supposed to be, but I think she was a young teenager. The reason for why I also had such issues with the writing was that in the beginning of the book, the girl thinks that if her father died, she would die too, and that she would have nothing to live for. And that's just. Yeah. Not a story for me at all. Ugh. Big thank you to the publisher, for sending me a copy of this book to read.

I really do not have much to say about this story. It was really short. And I did not like it much, I'm sorry to say. I wish this could have been a book for me. There are some kind of cute illustrations included, though those weren't that amazing either, sadly. I do think that some people could enjoy this story, but I was not one of them. I didn't like the writing, and I found the story to be way too fast and full of flaws. It's about a young girl who lives with her father, a samurai. It's mentioned often, but never shown. Should have been.

Then her father is accused of doing something she knows that he could not have done, and so he is sent away. She loses her home, and is full of grief. I felt nothing for this, simply because it was not written well enough to me. I didn't feel anything for this girl, as there was no personality there at all. After a year, she finally goes after her father, to live in exile with him. Just. Not good. There is even a sea dragon included. Story was too short, and too weird, and not good enough for me. But I am kind of glad that I gave it a try.


Sunday, December 17, 2017

Cover Reveal: Furyborn by Claire Legrand

I AM DYING FOR THIS BOOK TO COME OUT. Eeeee. I have already read it, and gosh, I loved it so so much. Sigh. Such a perfect book. You all need to read and love this book too. Although it isn't out until May next year. Hmph. So still some months to go. But the book is worth the wait, I promise. And oh, holy crap. I mean. LOOK AT THIS COVER. Isn't it just beyond gorgeous? :D I love it so so much. So fitting with the book too. And the ARC cover is stunning too, though. Both are perfect. Oh, how I loved this one. It's heartbreaking and epic and romantic and full of fantasy and such amazing girls. I love them so. And also, I love Claire the very very very much. She's such an amazing person. And author too; have loved every one of her books. They are the best. And she is too. And Furyborn was perfection. There is this awesome quiz that you can take, here. I'm a blood queen. Very happy with that, to be honest ;) And do visit the very amazing website for this series, here :D It's so gorgeous. I love how much promo there is for this gorgeous book already. Everyone is going to love it. Like I did. I currently have a personalized ARC of the old cover, and very much looking for the new ARC with the new cover too. I am going to need every single copy of this book, eee. It will look so gorgeous as a hardcover too. Cannot wait to see it and own it in May. But yeah. I am so so happy with this stunning book. Love it so. What do you think of the cover? :D


The stunningly original, must-read fantasy of 2018 follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.


Saturday, December 16, 2017

In My Mailbox #319

This week have been both good and bad. I managed to read two long books, which I'm happy about. I got some pretty mail, which I'm always happy about. But health is still not better at all. I have a smallish fever every night, and headaches every day. Stomach still sucks badly. And I'm up every night at least twice. It sucks. And I'm tired every second of the day. Which is a side effect of the new medicine. Which still have not started working. I knew it would take ages, but gosh, I'm so tired of waiting. Ugh. Just wishing to feel well. And not be in pain. So yeah. Please let the medicine start working shortly. Anyway. I am trying my best to deal with it all :) It's just hard, sigh. I blogged a little bit this week. <3 I shared my second review of Shadow Scale :D And this week I'm waiting on Dreaming Dangerous :) Then shared my review of Tess of the Road, eee. <3 Thank you so so much to all you lovely people for still visiting my blog and leaving comments :) It means the most. Also, I don't mention it on my blog often, as I only share pictures from instagram, but my cat is a girl, and almost five years old now :D The cutest. I love her the very most. <3



Unearthed. Eee, AUS final version. <3 I loved this book so so much. And it is beyond gorgeous. Love.
A Gathering of Shadows. Second German edition from this awesome series :D Had to get it. So pretty.
Trolls Holiday. I'm pretty excited about watching this short movie, lol. As I adored Trolls a whole bunch.
Olaf's Frozen Adventure. I haven't gotten to see this short yet, aw, but had to get the soundtrack for it :D
Pop Figures. My black friday orders are finally starting to arrive, eee :D I adored the newest Thor movie.
Rosemarked Swag. Eee, thank you so so much Livia :D I'm so in love with this gorgeous pre-order swag.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, December 15, 2017

Review: Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

Feeling thrilled to say that I loved this book so very much. I have been waiting years to read this story. And I finally had the chance to do so now. It did not disappoint. I have so much to share about this book. I don't know how I will get to it all. But I will try my best. This book was pretty much amazing. But also very heartbreaking.

Which makes me feel the need to mention that this book is full of subjects that can be hard to read about. Tess has been through a lot. And it's mentioned often. It's so heartbreaking and cruel, yet I handled it pretty well. I loved reading her story. But yes. It is very sad. And full of details at times. But also very, very worth reading.

I am giving this precious book five stars. Because I loved it like crazy. Tess of the Road is a companion book to Seraphina and Shadow Scale. Set in the same world, around five years after the end of the second book. And it's written from the point of view of Tess, whom is the human half-sister of Seraphina. I also need to mention that despite the very stunning dragon on the cover of this book, this story is not about dragons. Although there are dragons in this world, they are not really included in this book. And I didn't mind that at all. I would call this a soft-fantasy novel, if that's a thing. It focus almost entirely on Tess and her journey to kind of find herself. Still fantasy, but not that much of it. I did not mind, though. Because I loved Tess like crazy. I loved her story.

This book tells the story about Tess. She is sixteen years old for most of the book, though a lot of it focus on her past as well, with some flashbacks telling what she was up to as a child and such. And all of those scenes were wonderful to read about. I mean, some of them just about killed me with heartbreak, but they were written excellently. At first, Tess is very much an awful person. She gets drunk every day, she lashes out in anger towards everyone. But she has her reasons for this. And those reasons are good. And rude.

The way Tess was in the beginning of this book was a bit hard to read about. She was so broken. And she had such angry thoughts at times too, towards her family especially. I can't help but say that I really didn't like the way she saw Seraphina. Hmph. As she wasn't like that at all in her own books. But I guess that is how a siblings views someone, lol. And oh, their poor father. My heart is aching for him. But gosh, Tess's mother. I cannot with this woman. She deserves death. Cannot help but say so. She was horrible.

There is so much I wish to share about this book, and I'm probably going to share a bit too much, but not many spoilers. Just details that I wish to talk about. Like Tess and her family. She has a twin sister, whom I cannot decide how I felt about. She was kind and sweet at times, yet pretty blind too. And just not kind enough, not the way Tess needed her. And their mother. It kills me, how she made Tess be as broken as she was. And their father. Sigh. He simply was not there. I liked the glimpse of her grandmother, though.

Not going to talk much about the plot of this story, or what happens to make it so. Just a little bit. Tess and her family has been going through some hard years, because the truth of her dad and his earlier dragon relationship came out. Because of this, Tess has had to work hard for her or for her sister to marry well, to save their family. Tess ended up broken because of something to do with this. Her sister ends up married, and probably happy with that. And then Tess ended up running away after her sister's wedding, all alone.

This book is about Tess being on the road. Running from her family, running from her past life. She is pretty awful at the beginning of the book, yet I could always see her heart, and she wasn't that bad. But she changes a lot on this journey. It takes about a year, and so much happens in between. She meets a lot of people, and I loved that a lot. Always interesting and exciting. And there is so much to learn about Tess too. Getting to know her past, piece by piece, it just about killed me. Was so good, but so sad too.

I am not going to say what has happened to her. But know that it was bad. And it was not just one thing. There was a bunch of things. And I can't believe how strong Tess is, to manage to bear it all. Yeah, she handles it badly at times, but she's still so strong and so fierce. I loved her the most. She also travels with a childhood friend, Pathka, whom is a quigutl. I would describe him as a mix between animal and dragon. They are human sized, I think, and pretty ugly. But Tess understands his language, and he is her friend.

I'm not going to mention too much about everything that happens. As I don't have the words to describe everything, and I have already written way more than I should have, haha. But yeah. I loved this book a lot. And I enjoyed reading about Pathka too, though I must admit that he was all kinds of disgusting and awful at times. Yet a good friend most of the time, and fun to read about too. Though he was a horrible mother, just saying. But still. This book was full of interesting and awesome characters to get to know.

I almost forgot to mention something about this book that was very important. Glad that I remembered it just in time. These books is part history too, seems like they are set very far in the past. While this wasn't such a big thing in Seraphina, it was a huge deal in this book, and in the world of Tess. There is a lot of focus on women having to marry, being virgins, and such. It was pretty heartbreaking to read about, and some of it made me so angry too. But it was all very fascinating to read about as well. I enjoyed all of it.

I cannot help but mention that there are small parts of Seraphina in this book too. Not her point of view, sadly, but there are views of her. And I got to know a bunch of things that have happened with her, and I am beyond happy with it all. Eee. I mean, I want more, much more, of course. But so happy with these small things. A little bit confused about some of it, but it was amazing to get to know more details about Seraphina and her life. It made my heart so happy. Hoping that she will be a little bit in book two as well.

There is not a lot of romance in this book. And there is an important reason for that. And so I did not mind at all. Though there are much more hints of it near the end of the book, and oh, I really do ship Tess with this person. Yet I cannot help but feel like it will not happen by the end of this duology. Hmph. How rude. But either way, I'm super excited to know for sure how this series will end. I adore Tess. And cannot wait to read how her story ends. I'm sure it is going to be all kinds of epic and amazing. I am so excited for it.

I really think you should all read this book. Tess of the Road was everything I was hoping it would be and more. I loved every moment of this stunning book. Reading about Tess, learning her story, all of it was so incredible. I can't wait for the second and final book. I need to know more about this precious girl. Though I fear it might kill me a bit too. And I can't wait for it. This isn't a usual fantasy book, and I didn't mind that one bit. I'm hoping you will all give it a chance. Because it was truly wonderful. I loved this book so much.


Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday #322

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

DREAMING DANGEROUS BY LAUREN DESTEFANO

Goodreads Description:

Brassmere Academy for the Extraordinary is a school for orphans with strange and wonderful gifts. Twelve-year-old Plum has lived there forever, and each night, she ventures into her dreams alongside her three best friends, Vien, Gwendle, and Artem, to fight monsters and journey on dangerous quests. But one night, Plum gets a mysterious warning that she and her friends are no longer safe. And the next morning, Artem is nowhere to be found.

As Plum, Vien, and Gwendle search for their friend—in both the dreaming and waking worlds—they start to uncover alarming secrets about Brassmere and its intentions. Will they be able to find Artem before it’s too late, or will they be next to disappear?



Hardcover, 208 pages
Expected publication: July 3rd 2018 by Bloomsbury USA 
Pre-Order here and here

Oh gosh. I'm really truly dying to read this book. I didn't know about it until this month. And there is a cover. And a summary. And there are ARCs too. Ahhh. I need one of those more than anything :D Dying to read the book. And want to complete my collection. I have loved every middle grade book by Lauren so far. And I think this one will be pretty awesome. I'm very sure I will love this one too. Just, I want it now.
What are you waiting for on this dreaming Wednesday?

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Review: Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

This second read was all kinds of amazing. I didn't realize that I had forgotten so much about this book. How rude. So reading it again was so much fun. And was so exciting and heartbreaking too. I love this world that Rachel has created so much. Amazing characters and such a stunning story. Not sure I can describe it.

Shadow Scale is long and takes some time to read. And it was worth every page. I love this book so much and I enjoyed every moment of it. The writing is gorgeous. And even though the book was long, I wanted it to be even longer. As I am so much in love with these characters and so I do not want to let any of them go.

Which means that I am beyond excited about reading Tess of the Road next. Yesss. Different main character, but hoping there will be peeks at the older characters too. Fingers crossed. But even without that, I cannot wait to get to know and love Tess. I am so excited. But anyway. More about Shadow Scale. I guess some people would find it a little boring, as there is not much action in this book. And there is a whole lot of travelling. But it was never boring. Not even for a second. At least not to me. I loved reading about Seraphina, and all that she goes through. I just love this young half dragon so very much. She's fierce and gentle and loving and just all kinds of amazing. She's amazing at music, and that's a big part of both these books. Loved that so much.

This book starts three months after the end of Seraphina. The war with the dragons have started, and things aren't really going all that well. I'm not going to talk much about plot things and such. Just going to mention all the things I loved about this book. Which were a whole lot of things. I read the ARC version of this book the first time I read it, and I do not remember the small summary posted in the beginning of the book. And oh gosh, it was all kinds of amazing. Especially that last part of it. I loved it a lot. I want more.

But anyway. There is so much I wish to share about this book, yet I'm not going to share too much about it. So much happens. So much heartbreak. Yet a bunch of fun and exciting things too. The story in this book is about Seraphina leaving her home, and leaving behind Glisselda and Kiggs, to go search for the other half dragons that she knows about because of the garden in her mind. Which I won't describe at all. Just know that it was all kinds of exciting and interesting and horrible to read about, and I enjoyed it tons.

And so Seraphina and Abdo goes looking for all these characters. There is a whole lot of travelling. And I loved every moment of it. Because it was interesting and fun at times too. I just love Seraphina so much. There is a lot to learn about her in this book. Like her past with this very awful woman. It was so good to read about. Yet so heartbreaking too. And then there was Abdo. I love this little boy beyond words. He has the biggest heart. And he is simply incredible. I loved reading about him so much. Also, heartbreak.

Parts of this book is also about the war between the humans and the dragons. A lot of things happen with that too. And I really liked everything about it. I grew to enjoy reading about the dragon leader, though he was very weird at times. And I very much disliked that final scene with him, what he and another dragon had done. I did not approve. At all. Hmph. But anyway. There is a lot of dragons in this book. And I very much loved that. They were interesting to read about, and I loved learning many new things about them.

There is so much new to learn about Seraphina too. She gets to know herself a whole lot more too. And I loved that. She has grown so much since the beginning of book one. Must also mention that the romance in this book is almost not there. Seraphina and Kiggs are apart for almost all the book. But I did not mind too much, because they still very much love each other. And no triangles. But it is complicated, very much so. Yet I did not mind that either, because there was no drama. None. I simply ship them the very most.

I loved getting to know all the new characters in this book. There is a whole lot of new half dragons, half humans, like Seraphina. I'm still a bit sad that they cannot transform into a real dragon, lol. But they are all still amazing. I loved reading about them all so much. Some were kind and lovely, others were rude and mean. Yet they were all awesome. I loved how Seraphina went looking for all of them. Every single character in this book were simply amazing. Especially Seraphina and Kiggs and Glisselda and Abdo.

So much happens in this book. I can't begin to describe all of it. Just know that every page was exciting and I loved every moment in this book so much. I only wish that ending had been a bit longer. Ack. And that there would be tons more books about Seraphina. Aw. I don't want to stop reading about her and her life. And oh gosh. I need to mention Orma a little bit. Her dragon uncle. I loved this man so very much. He was always fun to read about. Things happen with him in this book, and my heart is broken because of it.

And that is all I'm going to say about that. Shadow Scale was such a stunning second and final book. Full of adventure and interesting moments. I really loved learning so much about all of these characters and this world and these dragons. I'm so thrilled with how much I loved these two books. Eee. And I cannot wait to read more books by Rachel. I hope she will continue to write. If you still haven't read Seraphina and Shadow Scale, then you really need to get starting. They are such incredible and awesome books.


Saturday, December 9, 2017

In My Mailbox #318

Gosh, I am exhausted all the damn time. So tired every single day. And in pain too. This new medicine have way too many side effects. And so far it isn't even working on my stomach. Ugh. But hopefully soon. I'm still crossing my fingers it will work. Anyway. I'm a bit behind on reading, sadly. But I do wish to read. Just have no energy. Hmph. I'm also feeling a little sad, as I love blogging so much, I love sharing all my thoughts on books and sharing what I get in the mail. But lately, well, I have barely gotten any comments on my posts. My last mailbox post got zero comments. And I feel pretty sad about it. Because I still have the same amount of page views I have had for years; just no comments. Still, though. I'm not going to quit blogging. Just a bit sad about it :) Anyway. I only read one book this week, and I have not gotten to start Shadow Scale yet. Ahh. But tomorrow for sure. So only posted twice. This week I'm waiting on Obsidio :D And shared my third review of Seraphina. <3 I'm simply exhausted all the time. But trying to deal with it :)



Renegades. Eee, finally managed to get two copies of the international paperback :D It is so so stunning.
A Darker Shade of Magic. Finally got my UK edition of this lovely book too :D This one is not signed, lol.
Simon Thorn and the Wolf's Den. I will be reading these books soonish :D Wanted to own them all first.
All That Burns. I have yet to read this duology by this awesome author; but I will be doing it soonish :D
Miraculous Ladybug. This show is still the best. Sigh. And I love these comic books from the episodes so.
Shadow and Bone. Ahh :D I know. I already own the paperbacks. Ahh. But, box set! And poster! Love it.
Renegades Bracelets. Eee, thank you so much for trading with me Melissa :D I love them so so much.
Pop Figures. Home Alone is such an amazing movie. Love it so. Still waiting on Kevin to ship, ack. Soon.
Bookmarks. Eee, more Happy Hello bookmarks :D These are such a huge favorite of mine. So gorgeous.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, December 8, 2017

Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

This was my third time reading this gorgeous book. And I still love it as much as I did that first time, more than five years ago. And then again just over three years ago. This book was truly amazing those two times, and it was even more amazing this time as well. I am so thrilled that I still love this book so much.

Though I cannot fully believe that it has already been over five years since I read it that first time. Time is moving way too fast lately. This book will always be incredible, though. The writing is gorgeous. And the story is beyond amazing. The characters are exciting and so lovely to read about. Everything was so perfect.

And fully horrible at the same time too, at times. Which I loved beyond words. The book might be a bit slow at first, before all the action starts happening. But every word is precious. And I found everything to be exciting and interesting. Reading about Seraphina and her world was the best thing, once again. I had forgotten a whole bunch, though everything felt familiar too. I'm not going to write too much about this book at this time, I don't think. But will share some of my feelings about it. Because I very much loved this book a bunch this third time reading it. And I need you all to read this lovely book, if you still haven't given it a chance. Because it's worth it. Every word is worth reading. The story is exciting and different and so perfect. You will love it.

This book tells a story about dragons. And it is the very most exciting story. This book is a mix of fantasy and history and I loved every moment of it. I loved how it was old fashioned in many things. And yet very much fantasy too, with the dragons. The story takes place in the kingdom of Goredd, and there has been peace between dragons and humans for the past forty years. Well, mostly peace. There are still certain people who are angry about it, and they were a bit vicious at times. But all of it interesting to read about.

I am not going to talk too much about the plot of this book, just a little bit. The dragons were all kinds of exciting. There isn't too much of them as dragons, as the story is told from the point of view of Seraphina. She is half dragon, though. But she is fully human too, and so she is not able to become a dragon. Which was a little bit heartbreaking. But I loved her just the way she was. Though it was very interesting to read about how the dragons could be dragons and then humans too. And how different they were as humans.

There is so much I could say about this book. As there is so much that happens. But I am not going to mention all of it. You need to read it yourself. Because it's all interesting and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I loved that the point of view is from Seraphina. And gosh, how I loved getting to know this half dragon, half human girl. She was lonely and kind and lovely and all kinds of perfect to read about. A bit broken too. A little angry, a whole lot of fierce and protective and loving. I loved every part of her. Sigh.

And there are tons of other amazing characters too. Like Lucian Kiggs. And oh, the small romance that happens between him and Seraphina. It is very small, and full of complications, but I ship them beyond words. And their growing friendship was simply the best to read about. And ahh, I adored Glisselda too. She was fun and pretty adorable at times. And Seraphina's uncle, Orma. I loved him beyond words. I was a bit unsure about her dad; did not like the early version of him. But I adored him at the end of the book.

So much happens in this story. And a lot of it is complicated. And a lot of it is fun and a bit heartbreaking too. There is a lot of secrecy, with Seraphina being half dragon. It is not something she can share with anyone. And she is a bit heartbroken about it. But she's still managing to make friends, and I loved that about her. She also has this kind of power with her mind, and I'm not going to describe that, but gosh, it was exciting and different to read about. And I loved it so. And those characters as well. So so amazing.

I think I have already written more than I was going to about this book. Yet I could probably write about it for ages as well. Seraphina is simply a gorgeous book. And I am so glad I read it for a third time. I know this is a book I will read again too. Because this girl is amazing to read about. Love her so. The dragons were both fascinating and horrible. I loved that. And all the friendships in this book were written so well. And all the plot surprises too. Everything about this book was good. I adore it so. Everyone must read it.

I simply cannot wait to re-read Shadow Scale next. Although my heart will break once again, that there isn't more books from the point of view of Seraphina. I need more from this lovely girl. Aw. But there will be Tess of the Road, which I will be reading right after Shadow Scale, and I can't wait for that. It tells the story of Seraphina's half sister, whom is very much human, and I'm so excited about it. The way I figure it, it takes place around five years after these books, maybe. A bit unsure. Either way, I am beyond excited.


Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday #321

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

OBSIDIO (The Illuminae Files #3)
BY JAY KRISTOFF & AMIE KAUFMAN


Goodreads Description:

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion?

Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha's past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict.

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heros will fall, and hearts will be broken.
 

Hardcover, 608 pages
Expected publication: March 13th 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pre-Order here and here

Is it March yet? Ahhh. Already been waiting forever and ever for this final book :D I'm simply dying to read it. It's going to be SO GOOD. I loved Illuminae and Gemina so much, and I can't wait to know everything that happens next for all of these lovely characters. Hoping it won't end up killing me, though. Ack. Also, isn't that cover just so gorgeous? I shared about it here. Cannot wait to get all my copies of this book :D
What are you waiting for on this final Wednesday?

Saturday, December 2, 2017

In My Mailbox #317

This week have been pretty crappy. Ahh. Plus side, I did read two books. Wish I had read more, though. And I did get some pretty mail. And it's looking a lot like Christmas. I'm very happy about that. But, yeah. Not a good week. I got the new type of medicine just last week, and ever since then I have gotten at least over ten side effects. Small fever all the time. Teeth aches. Tired. Coughing. Intense pain in my chest. It's just, yeah. I'm so goddamn tired of being in pain all the time. And stomach isn't any better either. Could take many weeks still until I notice anything different. So I'm feeling a bit sad at the moment. Aw. More medicine next week. Hoping the side effects will pass. Otherwise I fear they will get even more, and I cannot deal with that. Already in so much pain. Really don't want more of it. Ugh. But anyway. A few blog things :D I posted my review of There's Someone Inside Your House. Which was disappointing. Hmph. This week I'm waiting on Devils Unto Dust. <3 Then I posted my review of The Scorpio Races :D Eight read, eee. So anyway. My week hasn't been the best with my health, but the rest of me is doing good :)

Giveaway over at Instagram: Win a Nevernight Bookmark set. Enter here.


A Darker Shade of Magic. Yay for gorgeous B&N edition :D Getting the other two as well. So so pretty.
The Becoming of Noah Shaw. Finally, finally my pre-orders arrived. Took forever. Ack. Gorgeous, though.
Outpost. Eee, thank you for trading this with me Christin. <3 I love it so. Now only missing Enclave :D
Tokoyo. Got this book for review; and I'm hoping that I will enjoy it :D Looks pretty, and it's short too.
Nightfall. Finally got my B&N edition of this precious book as well :D I really must read on in this series.
Into the Bright Unknown + Nightfall. Book two is personalized; and such lovely swag. <3 And ahh, book one was supposed to be personalized too, sobs, but it was not. Feeling a bit sad about it. Still, gorgeous.
Swag Pack. Eee, thank you so, so much Katie for this amazing swag pack :D It's lovely, and I love it so.
Pop Figures. I couldn't resist getting these figures :D Another WW one. And love the Nightmare ones.

 
More Instagram photos here. <3