Monday, July 30, 2018

Preview Review: Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis

This book pretty much killed me. I loved reading every moment of it and I am so thrilled to have been able to read and review it early. I adore Beth, and I am so happy about this new series of hers. Waiting for the second book is pretty much going to kill me. Ahh. I'm so very excited to know what happens next in this world.

Today I'm only sharing a short preview review of this book. As I will not be posting my full review until September 18th. Ended up being above 1100 words. I simply could not stop writing about it. Five stars for Give the Dark My Love. And if you are considering reading this book, then get moving. It is so worth it. Go order it.

I will not be writing much about this book right now. Only sharing that I loved it so very much. And you all need to read it too and get it when it comes out in September. It tells the story of Nedra and Grey. A little romance. Which was stunning. A whole lot of plague and death and alchemy. It was so awesome. You are all going to love this book too, I promise. I cannot wait to own all the copies of this stunning book when it comes out too. So excited. Huge thank you to Penguin Random House International for sending me the free ARC copy of this book to read and review. This book was dark and lovely and I loved every moment of it. It was heartbreaking. And a little romantic too. I loved the world this book was set in. So interesting and exciting to read about.


Saturday, July 28, 2018

In My Mailbox #351

Time is moving by so fast. I did a lot this week, though, so yay for that. A bit of reading; more to come. Time spent outside, as it is finally summer heat here too. A bit too much at times, but so lovely even so. Got more medicine this week, and still working good. Well, on my stomach, not the rest of me. Rude. But hopefully soon. I have a lot of new blog posts this week. And oh, it would mean the very very most to me if you could take the time to leave a small comment :) I have gotten so so few comments lately, which is heartbreaking. Anyway. I shared my review of Fury :D Shared my review of The Adventures of Phatty and Payaso: Central Park :) And I shared a spotlight + giveaway post for Phatty and Payaso :) This week I'm waiting on We Hunt the Flame. <3 And I shared the cover reveal for The Blood Spell :D I also got some gorgeous mail this week. Thrilled about The Hollow of Fear, eee. SO so excited to read that book :D The others looks lovely too. I'm still behind on so much, but have been able to catch up a little, so yay for that.




Hotel Transylvania. I adore these cute graphic novels :D Love. I have not gotten to see movie #3. So sad.
Nightbooks. Such a stunning finished copy :D Did not love this book, but I love the author so very much.
The Hollow of Fear. AHH! Thank you so much PRH International :D I am SO HAPPY. Can't wait to read.
Pop Figures. Eee, Treebeard! So awesome. And Sam with Baby. Got the Chase edition in the mail. Love.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, July 27, 2018

Cover Reveal: The Blood Spell by C. J. Redwine

EEE! I am SO EXCITED about The Blood Spell :D My gosh. It's going to be so so so good. CJ is the very best person and she writes such amazing books. And so dark ones. And this one sounds so incredible. Gosh. I can't wait to read this lovely thing. That cover! I am dying. So beautiful. And the summary. I can't. The Blood Spell will be perfection. I can't wait to read about Blue and Kellan, ahhh :D And their romance! It sounds so good! I'm so excited. I loved the other three fairy tale retellings she wrote so much, and this one sounds so perfect. Cannot wait. I'm over a month late in posting this cover reveal, ack, but I had to share about it, even if I am a little bit late :D It is so stunning. What do you think of this perfect cover? <3


Blue de la Cour has her life planned: hide the magic in her blood and continue trying to turn metal into gold so she can help her city’s homeless. But when her father is murdered and a cruel but powerful woman claims custody of Blue and her property, one wrong move could expose her—and doom her once and for all. The only one who can help? The boy she’s loathed since childhood: Prince Kellan.

Kellan Renard, crown prince of Balavata, is walking a thin line between political success and devastating violence. Newly returned from boarding school, he must find a bride among the kingdom’s head families and announce his betrothal—but escalating tension among the families makes the search nearly impossible. He’s surprised to discover that the one person who makes him feel like he can breathe is Blue, the girl who once ruined all his best adventures.

When mysterious forces lead to disappearances throughout Balavata, Blue and Kellan must work together to find the truth. What they discover will lead them to the darkest reaches of the kingdom, and to the most painful moments of their pasts. When romance is forbidden and evil is rising, can Blue save those she loves, even if it costs her everything?




Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday #354

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

WE HUNT THE FLAME BY HAFSAH FAIZAL

Goodreads Description:

The darkness speaks to those who listen. Those who listen are those who have accepted the darkness.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways.

Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

War is brewing in Arawiya, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.
 


Expected publication: May 14th 2019 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pre-Order here and here

Ahhh. Is it May yet? Because I cannot wait for this awesome sounding book, eee :D I have been following Hafsah for years now, and I am thrilled that she is getting her book published. <3 This book just sounds so good. I cannot wait to read and love it. So excited to get to know all these characters :D And the world.
What are you waiting for on this hunting Wednesday?

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

The Adventures of Phatty and Payaso: Spotlight + Giveaway

Today I'm thrilled to share a spotlight post about The Adventures of Phatty and Payaso: Central Park by Marie Unanue. There will also be an international giveaway for a copy of the book below, sent by the publisher to me, hosted and sent by me. When the lovely Jackie at JKS Communications contacted me about this book, I could not resist the chance to be able to read it. And I am so glad I did so. Huge thank you to Jackie for sending me this book, and for sending an extra copy for me to give away to one of you. I have already read this book, and you can see my three star review of it here. It was pretty adorable. For my spotlight post today, I'm sharing a publisher interview with the author :D Which is awesome. Giving away a finished copy of the book too. Hope you will all enter, and that you will all read this book too :)



Publisher Interview with Marie Unanue.

1. How did you become passionate about bullying?

As a child I was bullied, I can remember what it felt like to not fit in at times. I wasn’t a jock, I wasn’t the cheerleader, and I wasn’t in with the “cool” crowd. I kind of just floated along and befriended anyone that wanted to be friends. When I saw how my overweight cat ran from the birds on the terrace I imagined how hard it is to be an overweight child in school, or the child that isn’t cool or doesn’t fit in. I wanted to write a book that spoke to children about that feeling.

We know that bullying is an age-old problem, and it has only been amplified now that social media has allowed the bullies a platform after the children leave the classroom. I am hoping that children will learn how to handle bullies from this story and more importantly, I am hoping that the bullies see how horrible it is to be bullied and make better choices when dealing with kids they don’t like, or that don’t fit in. My characters all have strengths and weaknesses and they are all working on how to use their strengths to help them to overcome their weaknesses; they are also learning how to be vulnerable and take risks.

Children will also get a bird’s eye view of a character with special needs, Max, the main boy in my story. He is on the spectrum and suffers badly when other children don’t include him, or chastise him. This story allows kids to see all different perspectives on bullying.

2. What inspired you to write this book?

While writing from my home office for various publications reporting on the latest and greatest in honeymoons and weddings, I found another muse for my writing, my animals. After months of working from my home, I couldn’t help but turn my attention to my crazy furry family. Daily I found myself laughing at something crazy and off the wall my cats or dog would do. While, watching my animals, and as crazy as it sounds, my neighbor’s Cat, interact with each other, I found a story inside of my heart I needed to share.

From that moment on, I turned my writing from weddings and honeymoons in an entirely new direction, a four-legged furry and funny direction. I focused on my overweight cat and his unique friend from the apartment next door, Payaso, in time, I dreamt up a ‘tail’ about a bunch of friends overcoming obstacles and their own fears and insecurities while going on an adventure in Central Park. I wanted the story to focus on kindness and the importance of strong character traits, like grit, zest, social intelligence and so forth. I wanted the animals to teach lessons by examples on how to treat each other with unconditional love, acceptance and empathy. I wanted to reach children in a way that would make them pause and reconsider how they were going to treat each other going forward after reading the book. I loved that I was able to mix in personalities, ethnicity and ability and offer children characters that had difference strengths and weaknesses that they would relate with.

3. What is special about the setting of “The Adventures of Phatty & Payaso?”

Most of the story takes place in a New York city apartment overlooking Central Park. When Phatty the cat realizes a large hawk has plans to rob his home, he takes it upon himself to venture out into Central Park and try and find the Central Park Zoo Keeper to help him capture the hawk. Shortly after his leaving the safety of his apartment his friends head out into Central Park to find him. This adventure story lets children experience life in Central Park… in the greatest city in the world!

4. How does your book handle its special needs character?

The book addresses how today’s children familiarize and connect with children that have special needs and/or suffer from the ability to adapt or fit in with social groups. I want to offer children a different perspective on the challenge some children face on a daily basis to fit in, feel comfortable or feel/be included. On several occasions throughout the book, children are given examples of how small acts of kindness, behavior modifications, or considerate actions towards someone struggling to fit in makes a large impact on that person’s life[a].

5. You set out to write this book in part to help develop positive character traits. Which are the ones most described in the book?

We know through research from the non-profit organization Character Lab (Characterlab.org) that there are several character skills missing in many of today’s children. They have discovered that character strengths are malleable, and surprisingly little is known about how they can be intentionally cultivated. Character Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 by one scientist and two educators: Angela Duckworth, author of “Grit,” and the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania; Dave Levin, co- founder of the KIPP public charter schools; and Dominic Randolph, Head of Riverdale Country School.

The Adventures of Phatty & Payaso” focuses on six skills that are lacking in today’s children. They are:
* Curiosity: Taking an interest in ongoing experience for its own sake; finding subjects and topics fascinating; exploring and discovering.
* Gratitude: Being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks.
* Grit: Finishing what one starts; persisting in a course of action in spite of obstacles.
* Self-control: Regulating what one feels and does in the service of goals and standards; being disciplined; controlling one’s emotions .
* Social Intelligence: Being aware of the motives and feelings of other people and oneself; knowing what to do to fit into different social situations; knowing what makes other people tick.
* Zest: Approaching life with excitement and energy; not doing things halfway or half heartedly; living life as an adventure; feeling alive and activated.

The book demonstrates these important and necessary character skills through the actions and behaviors of the books characters. I studied these traits and then developed which character would have which skills as a strength or area for improvement. Together, the characters all possess these traits and throughout the story they teach each other, through actions and by example, how to grow and develop these skills. Throughout the story, each character learns something about themselves they didn’t know, while realizing that friendship is more than just someone to play with. Friendship is about kindness, helping and caring about others, and doing the “right thing,” even when the “right thing” is difficult.

Phatty the cat loves nothing more than spending his days balanced atop his favorite chair gazing out his windows at Central Park below. Everything is simply fan-tabby-lous until one day when the meanest hawk in the park lands on his terrace and makes a terrifying announcement that he is coming for Phatty and his furry little friends.

When Phatty decides he is tired of being a scaredy-cat, he jumps into a laundry bag and escapes to Central Park to stop Crawler the bully hawk once and for all. But his unplanned operation goes horribly wrong when he finds himself alone and lost in the park. When his best friend, Payaso, realizes his partner in crime is missing, he teams up with several animals to find Phatty. As the band of furry pals set out on a hilarious journey, they quickly realize that if they put aside their differences and work together, it might just be enough to save a lovable undercat—and each other. In this animal adventure novel, a cat on a mission to stop a bully hawk must face his fears all alone in a scary park while a group of unlikely friends attempts to rescue him.




Marie Unanue is the new author of the children’s book series, “The Adventures of Phatty & Payaso.” Marie has always been an avid reader and an activist for children who are bullied. As a kindness advocate, she hopes to inspire children across the world to remember to always treat each other with kindness and compassion. The former anchor of “Travels with Marie,” a weekly travel review program, Marie Unanue is also the former vice president of sales and marketing of Honeymoons.com and former owner of Beyond Compare Events, an event planning, marketing and public relations firm. Marie is involved in many charitable endeavors including sitting on the board of the C&J Unanue Foundation, and the New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Foundation. Marie resides with her husband Andy and their animals in NYC and Mantoloking, NJ. Visit her at www.letsallbekind.com.



Where to find Marie Unanue:


Rules.
International.
Will be one winner.
Must reply within 48 hours.

Monday, July 23, 2018

Review: The Adventures of Phatty and Payaso: Central Park by Marie Unanue

This was a pretty cute book. I am happy that I gave it a chance. And so thrilled that the publisher was able to send me a copy of it to read and review. I had not heard it before then, and I'm so glad that I ended up reading this book. It was not perfect, but it was all kinds of adorable. Giving this three stars. I think all should read it.

This book tells the story of some pretty adorable animals. There is Phatty the cat and his two brothers, Clyde the cat and Stanley the dog. They live together in a New York City apartment, right by the Central Park. We never get to see the owner, but the animals are happy. They have a pretty relaxed life. The cats never leave.

I kind of adored getting to know these cute characters. Though I had some issues with this book too, that it was a bit too much at times. But still cute. And a great story about finding friends and overcoming fears. And being kind when others are not being that kind to you. Phatty was a pretty adorable cat. He is very much overweight, but he is happy with his life. Except for all the birds outside his window that keeps teasing and bullying him. Which was all kinds of rude. He is a scared cat as well. But adorable. He has one best friend, Payaso. Whom is only in the city for two months a year. Though, thankfully, he lives right across the hall when he is there. Phatty is always looking forward to his best friend coming back. They always have so much fun together.

This is about about adventure. And learning to stand up for yourself. Phatty has always been picked on by birds. And he does not like it one bit. But he is too scared to do anything about it. Now there is a hawk that has come to see him, threatening to hurt his friends and steal from his owner. Phatty and his friends comes up with plans about how to get rid of this bird. But while everyone is napping, Phatty decides that he does not want to be scared. He goes to the park alone, to figure out how to get rid of the hawk himself.

Which is how this adventure starts. Phatty ends up lost and alone right away, but he soon finds some new friends. Payaso and his brothers wake up and go looking for him. They then meet a boy, Max. Whom has no friends and is really shy. He can also understand these animals when they talk. They become friends right away. I did like Max, but he was a bit too much at times too. But cute as well. This book mostly takes place over just one day. But it's a long one. With a lot of adventures to be had by these adorable animals.

I shall not share much more about this book, because it was pretty short, and not that much happened in it. But it was still a pretty exciting story and I truly liked reading about Phatty and Payaso and their friends. Enjoyed reading about how they tried dealing with the hawk, and how things ended with that. I really liked their adventure in the park too. It was pretty fun to read about. A bit awkward at times, but still cute. They all learn something new about themselves. Especially Phatty. I loved how he started to feel less scared.

The Adventures of Phatty and Payaso: Central Park was a pretty adorable book. I loved the friendships in it, and I loved that it was from the point of view of animals. I very much loved the few drawings inside this book. So cute and well done. The writing was not perfect, but I enjoyed it even so. It's a three star for me, though, because I had some issues with connecting to these adorable animals. They were a bit too much like humans. I mean, they could read and write. It was a little too much, honestly. Not bad, just too much.

But I am still glad that I read this book. Because it was cute. And I liked getting to know these characters. It ended happily. And it was a sweet book about friendship and kindness. Not perfect, but good. And I do think it is a book that everyone should be reading. Huge thank you to Jackie at JKS Communications for sending me a copy of this book to read and review. It is so gorgeous. If there ends up being more books about Phatty and Payaso, I would love to read those. I would so love to read even more cat adventures.


Sunday, July 22, 2018

Review: Fury by Rachel Vincent

I have waited three years to know how these books would end. And now I know. And I may never recover, honestly. This book was pretty amazing, but it also ruined me a little. I'm giving it four stars, because there were things I needed answers to, and I did not get them. But for the most part I loved this final one a bunch.

I have a lot of things I need to write down about this book. Will try my hardest not to share spoilers, but I will share my feelings about certain things, and some hints too. This is the third book in such an amazing series that I have loved reading. And I need all of you to read these books as well. So painful. But so important.

This book still tells the story of Delilah. It has been nine months now since she and everyone else managed to escape from the Savage Spectacle. That most horrible place. They have all been on the run since then. Most of them were separated. But Delilah ended up with Gallagher and a few others that she was closest with. I adored all of them very much. They were such awesome characters and I very much liked reading about them all. Though they escaped that gruesome place, they are still not safe or free. The world still wants all cryptids taken away or dead. And so they are now hiding at a cabin in the woods, trying to stay hidden until the baby is born. Delilah's baby. That is half-fae. Ahh. My heart. This pregnancy pretty much killed me. But so good.

There is so much to learn in this book. So many secrets and plot twists are revealed. So much more to know about Delilah and how she came to be. And I loved that a whole lot. This book is also told a little from the point of view of Rebecca Essig. She is important to this story, to Delilah. And I liked her small chapters a whole lot. Getting to know her story was awesome. I love Delilah the very most, but Rebecca was pretty great too. Though my favorite character will always be Gallagher, haha. I love him very much.

I enjoyed this final book because I simply love reading about Delilah and Gallagher. They are awesome together. And I love how he is always protecting her. And how they are always together. Just, yeah. I wanted more too. Hmm. But pleased with some things that happened, eee. And oh. They are having a baby together. The reason for why they are is still heartbreaking. But so interesting to read about it all, even so. I just love these characters so much. And learning more about them was so very awesome.

The thing is, though, there was not really a lot happening in this book. It was short. And so much is still left unanswered. But we do learn more about Delilah, and why she is a furiae. And what she is meant to do about this. But that is pretty much everything this book was about. That, and waiting for the baby to be born. I kind of expected a bit more from this final book? The first two were pretty brutal and awful. This one had nothing of that. I kind of missed the heartbreak and hope. Wanted a little more action, honestly.

But I also really liked this final book. I just wish that there had been more. It was a bit too little, to be fully honest. Still. Fury was a great final book. It's possible that I'm the only one wanting more from it. Oh, well. What I did enjoy, though, was getting to read more about my favorite characters. Reading about Delilah and Gallagher spending time together and talking was the best. But she was pushing him away a little at first too, and that broke my heart, ack. But they were so good together. Sigh. Loved reading about them.

But what was missing from this book was the other characters, the other cryptids. Most are missing after they escaped from the Spectacle. There is talk about how they are going to find the missing ones, but it has been nine months since their escape, and nothing has been done. And then this book ended without knowing anything else about that. I'm a bit disappointed, to be honest. I wanted to know more about the other cryptids too. I wanted to know if they were freed. I wanted to know where they all were, alive or not.

Then there was the romance. Well, the lack of romance. Through this whole trilogy I shipped Delilah and Gallagher the very very most. They are just perfect together and would make such an awesome couple. I will not spoil this book, but, well, nothing happens for more than half of it. Because Delilah does not want him to touch her, after how she got pregnant by him. Even though she still does not remember the details. That is what bothered me. I so needed this memory. And Delilah needed to know it too. But she does not.

I very much needed to know what happened in that scene. How Delilah felt about it. Sigh. And I cannot help but be a little heartbroken about it. Because this book is short. Only about three hundred pages. Felt like there could have been at least two hundred pages more, because very much is missing. I loved the book, but so much is left out. The ending was a little rushed. And I am not pleased with how it ended, to be honest. It was fitting for the story, which was good, but I personally am not happy about it all. Hmph.

Huge thank you to the publisher, Mira Books, for accepting my request to read this early via Edelweiss. Feeling so thankful for the chance to have read it a bit early. While it did not have everything I wanted, Fury was an amazing final book. There were answers. There was a conclusion. There were amazing characters and I simply loved reading about them all. Fury was a worthy final book. Though, yes, there were a few things I wish would have been different. But I shall get past it. So happy I read this trilogy.


Saturday, July 21, 2018

In My Mailbox #350

This week have been pretty awesome. But also completely exhausting. And so no catching up this week either. Ahh. Oh, well. I'll get there. We finally got summer heat and sun this week, eee :D It was even 30c outside two days. Which hasn't been for years and years. It was perfection. Sigh. A little too hot with the sun, but so lovely too. And so I have spent most days this week outside in the sun. And so because of the heat, I have not gotten to have my spa bath since Sunday. Ahhh. But finally colder this afternoon, so spa bath then, finally, I hope :D Missed it so. Also had just about zero time to read. I read Spectacle, but only just started reading Fury. Hoping to be able to finish it tonight. Fingers crossed. Then I will read Give the Dark My Love next. Ahh. SO excited :D Eee. So yeah. Not many blog posts; only two. Shared my second review of Spectacle. <3 And this week I'm waiting on To Best the Boys :D I also got some stunning mail this week, eee. And waiting on something more awesome too, I think :D Cannot wait. ALSO! I bought an iPhone X this week :D AHHH! It is PERFECTION. Huge. And bright. And so so stunning. I love it so much already. But beyond expensive. Gosh. But I was approved for being able to pay it all in 12 months, with no extra charges. Yesss. I could not resist. Since my iPhone 7 had lots of damage from a fall. And gosh, how I love my iPhone X. Sigh. It's so precious. So anyway. I also saw Skyscraper and Mamma Mia 2 at the cinema this week. They were both awesome :D Mamma Mia is my favorite movie, but oh, this second one was a little bit disappointing. But I still loved it. <3 Hoping to be able to read lots more shortly, when the cold comes back, haha :) But yeah. Hopefully able to finish Fury tonight. <3 Nervous and excited :)



Bright We Burn. Final copy for my collection has arrived :D This hardcover is so huge and so gorgeous.
Willa of the Wood. Eee, this middle grade book looks all kinds of stunning. I simply cannot wait to read it.
Jane, Unlimited. Gosh. I still haven't read this precious. I must. Very soon. Also, new paperback cover :D
Pop Figures. More Harry Potter for my very big collection :D And LotR. <3 And Stranger Things :D Love.



The Adventures of Phatty and Payaso: Central Park. Eee! Huge thank you to the publisher for this lovely package of awesome :D The book looks so cute and I love all of the swag too. I will be reading this book next week, and will then also post a spotlight post with an international giveaway for a copy of the book :D


More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday #353

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

TO BEST THE BOYS BY MARY WEBER

Goodreads Description:

Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port receive a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. Every year, the poorer residents look to see that their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.

In the province of Caldon, where women are trained in wifely duties and men are encouraged into collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her Mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.

With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone’s ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the maze.


Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication: March 5th 2019 by Thomas Nelson
Pre-Order here and here

Ohh, this book sounds awesome. I adore Mary, and I simply cannot wait to read this new book by her, eee :D To Best the Boys looks so incredibly gorgeous. And it sounds so amazing too. I am very excited about this book. And I am hoping so much that I will love it to pieces :D I think I will. Is it March yet? <3
What are you waiting for on this competitive Wednesday?

Monday, July 16, 2018

Review: Spectacle by Rachel Vincent

Second time reading this book, second time having my heart broken. Gosh. This sequel is painful. But so good too. I once more loved it a whole bunch. Still a five star. I love Menagerie a little more, but oh, Spectacle is an amazing read. And I am so thrilled I decided to re-read these before reading the final one.

This series is all kinds of painful to read. Yet I cannot help but love every moment of them. Painful, yet hopeful too. This world that Rachel has created is the worst kind. And it hurts my heart at all times. But Delilah is so strong and I feel for her so much. She's the best. These books are so good. I enjoyed the writing.

I shall not be writing too much about what happens in this book, but I very very much need to write down my feelings about some things. And I have a lot of those. This book was just so good. But hurtful and evil and rude too. My poor heart may never recover. You all need to read these books too. They are painful. But worth it. Spectacle begins three months after the end of Menagerie. It has been three months since Delilah and the other captives took over the menagerie, and they have been running the circus ever since. Without the public knowing that the cryptids are free and not really chained up, like they all used to be. It has been three amazing months for all of them. I felt very happy about their freedom. Sigh. But this was not to last. Good things never do.

They are all captured. This time they are not to be part of a circus. They have been sold to The Savage Spectacle. Which is the very very worst place they could have ended up. And gosh. Reading about the time they spent at this place. I cannot. It was horrible. And my heart it still aching for everything these poor characters went through. Because this Spectacle is a place where rich people come to have fun. They can buy time with whichever cryptid and creature they want. And do whatever they want to them.

Which they do. And gosh. My poor heart. These people did not deserve this. Yes, the cryptids are not human, but they are not far from human. They think like us. They are just like us, they only look different and have some powers. It broke my heart to read about how humans treats them in this world. It is not fair. And it is not kind. At all. Spectacle is told from the point of view of Delilah, with a few other chapters by other characters. But this is still Delilah's story. And so we get to see everything that happens to her.

Thankfully, the most brutal parts of this place did not happen to Delilah. But she is not left unhurt. And so much happens to her. And it is painful to read about. Yet written so very well and I could not help but love every part of this book. Because Delilah is so strong and brave and just the very best character. I loved how amazing she was. And how caring she was. She was the greatest. This book is about her struggle to adapt to a new horrible living situation. And her trying her best to figure out how to escape with everyone.

My most favorite character is still Gallagher. I love how big and strong and brutal and sweet he is. Delilah means everything to him. And he would to anything to protect her. Which he has to do in this book. And everything he went through killed me. Still no romance between them. Sigh. I ship them beyond words. Just, gosh, the pain they both go through in this book. I cannot deal with it. Pain together, pain apart. Feel like Gallagher had it worst. And some things that happened to him were not made clear, and it hurts me.

There is so much going on in this book. Half of it is about them arriving at the Spectacle. The second half is eight weeks after they arrived. And gosh, that plot twist was rude. I cannot get over it. So good. But so very painful. Especially reading about the parts that were missed in those eight week. Gosh. So many surprises and secrets. My poor heart. This Spectacle is owned by the very worst man possible. And his wife. Reading about them was the very worst, and I wanted the worst death as possible for them, haha.

I am not going to mention all of the characters in this books, but gosh, they are amazing. Many cryptids and creatures. All different. All amazing to read about and get to know. I loved how Delilah wants to save them all, and keep them from pain. Even when there is nothing she can do. All of these characters pretty much broke my heart. And I loved them so. Want the best for all of them, and oh, how I wish for a happy ending. But gosh, I'm nervous. Because this world was so much not made for happy endings. But I wish.

I have already written way more than I had planned to. Yet not nearly enough about what I wanted to share. I want to talk about all the things. All the spoilers. All my heartbreak. But I will not. Will just say that you need to read this book already. It is so good. Though most parts killed me. And oh, I want Delilah to remember some important events. And I want her and Gallagher together so badly. And I want all the bad parts they went through to go away. Ahh. My poor soul. This book was so painful. But so so worth it too.

Feeling so thrilled about how much I love these books. Only wish I will feel the same for the third one, which I'm starting an eARC of very shortly. I'm so nervous, because I have peeked. But beyond excited too. I cannot wait to know how everything ends. It may end up breaking me, though. I cannot wait, haha. Spectacle was an incredible second book. Exciting and evil and just so good. There were a few things I wish had not happened, but I can live with that. Because most of this book was perfect. Loved it so much.

 

Saturday, July 14, 2018

In My Mailbox #349

This week have gone by way too fast. It took me way too long to start reading the trilogy I was supposed to, ack, so I have only read one book so far. But going to get the other two read this weekend, I hope. My current reading list is huge and beyond amazing. Eee. I'm so happy. I simply cannot wait to read all these awesome books. Just, well, need to make myself start reading more. Ugh. I just have so little energy, still. Despite how my stomach is so, so much better. I'm still tired all the time and exhausted. How rude. Yet I want to read. I just cannot make myself start a book, haha. But I will read this summer. And a lot too. So far behind. On everything. And have tons of great books to read that I'm super excited about. This week I only blogged twice, ack. Oh, well. <3 This week I'm waiting on Two Dark Reigns :D And I shared my third review of Menagerie. <3 Although I have not read much, or done any catching up this week, gosh, I have been so busy. Lots of time spent with family, like always. And lots of time spent outside when the sun was up. And spa bath almost every day. Sigh. Love it so. Do not want summer to end. Though I do want it to stop being windy; because it is way too cold for summer. Rude. Anyway. I'm doing mostly okay. I also got so, so much stunning mail this week, ahh, and I am dying :D So so happy and thankful. <3 Love it all so.



The Golden Compass + Imprison the Sky + Sadie. AHH! Thank you so so much to Kat for trading these most gorgeous ARCs with me :D So happy to have these. Eee. I cannot wait to read Imprison the Sky.
Give the Dark My Love + Warcross. Eee! Dying! Biggest thank you to PRH International. SO excited :D
Godsgrave. Stunning UK paperback edition is now out. Such a gorgeous cover. Sigh. This ruined me.
Bright We Burn. Could not resist owning the UK paperback; to complete my collection of these books :D
Pop Figures. Eee, IT figures have arrived. So awesome. And more Moana and Stranger Things. Love.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, July 13, 2018

Review: Menagerie by Rachel Vincent

This is my third time reading this book. And I still love it so very much. Which I am beyond thrilled about, as I always worry when re-reading books. But re-reading this one was the very best. It is still so good. And still beyond heartbreaking, of course. This book is a huge favorite of mine. Still a five star read. It broke me again.

I shall not write such a long review this time. I shall not mention most of what happens. But I will share all my thoughts about this book, and why I love it so much and why it continues to break me every time I read it. It is such a powerful book. And I loved every moment of it, once more. It never disappoints. Such a good read.

This book tells the story of twenty five year old Delilah. She is celebrating her birthday with her boyfriend and her best friend. He has bought tickets to visit a traveling carnival, the menagerie. Delilah feels so very unsure about going to this. Because in this world, there are creatures living too. Cryptids. And for years now, they have been captured and killed, or is forced to perform while trapped. This menagerie shows off these creatures, and many of them are not all animals. Which is still heartbreaking to read about. Delilah has studied cryptids for years, and she loves learning about them, but she is not okay with how they are being treated. Yet she wants to see them too, so yeah, she feels unsure about going. And oh, how I wish she had not gone to this place.

But she does go. And this menagerie is a pretty horrible place. For those that do not support animals and creatures in cages. Especially abused ones. Most people in this book want the cryptids in cages, which is so painful to read about. But Delilah is not one of those horrible people. She cares, and she wants to do better. At the menagerie, they see a young werewolf girl being hurt, trying to get her to perform. Delilah is not okay with this. And she gets very angry. Which makes something happen to her body. She changes.

And this is not a good thing. She hurts the person hurting the girl, which I was so happy about, but this means that she is not a human. And she is captured, taken to jail. And reading those scenes still kill me. Because they are awful to her. And I did not like it one bit. But so very interesting to read, even so. But heartbreaking. It is decided that Delilah is a cryptid. Though she did not know she was one until this night. Her boyfriend abandons her at the police station. Her best friend as well. Only her mother is there for her.

But that same night, she is bought. Bought by the same menagerie she just visited. And gosh, this does not end well for Delilah. I shall not mention a lot of the things that happens next in this book. But there is abuse mentioned. A lot of it. And it is heartbreaking to read about. Delilah is put in a small cage, like all the others taken. Little food, little clothes, nothing of her own. They are trying to figure out what she is. Trying to make her transform again, into a monster. But it is not that easy. And ahh. So painful to read.

But so good too. This book still kills me with awesome. I don't know how else to describe it. Menagerie is all kinds of horrible. And I loved every moment of it. Because Delilah was the very best character to read about. I loved her so very much. Loved getting to know her. Loved how strong she was, how she fought for her life. Even when nothing could be done. She was still strong, even when beaten. And I loved that about her so much. Loved that she wanted to save everyone else that was captured too. My poor heart.

Another character in this book that I loved beyond words was Gallagher. He works at this place, taking care of the animals and creatures. He is tasked with breaking Delilah. But he is not a bad person. At all. He does not hurt her. Or anyone else. He is kind, when no one else is. It also takes some time before Delilah starts trusting him. But gosh, their growing friendship meant the most to me. No romance. But so good. Gallagher has secrets, and they were of the best kind. And a bit horrible too. I loved it. I loved him.

There is still so much I could write about this book. And I kind of feel like maybe what I already wrote was a bit too much, maybe, oh, well. I simply wanted to write about this book again. Because reading it for the third time was so good. And so painful. I haven't even mentioned most of what happens in this book. And I will not. But gosh, it is good. And awful. And every kind of perfect too. It is very much adult, and so dark, but not that dark, which I'm thankful for. This book ruined me. In a good way, honestly. It will ruin you too.

I did not read my two previous reviews before writing this one. And I am not going to. I just had to share about this lovely book a third time, I could not resist, haha. If you still have not read Menagerie, you are really missing out. It is dark, yes, and adult, but it is amazing. Honest and heartbreaking. Yet full of hope too. It felt very real right now, with how things in the world are at the moment. Made it even more sad. Ack. But there is hope too. And I have hope for our world too. Everyone deserves freedom. Every one.

 

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday #352

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

TWO DARK REIGNS (Three Dark Crowns #3) 
BY KENDARE BLAKE

Goodreads Description:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake returns with the highly anticipated third book in the Three Dark Crowns series! And while Arsinoe, Mirabella, and Katharine all have their own scores to settle, they aren’t the only queens stirring things up on Fennbirn Island.

Queen Katharine has waited her entire life to wear the crown. But now that she finally has it, the murmurs of dissent grow louder by the day. There’s also the alarming issue of whether or not her sisters are actually dead—or if they’re waiting in the wings to usurp the throne.

Mirabella and Arsinoe are alive, but in hiding on the mainland and dealing with a nightmare of their own: being visited repeatedly by a specter they think might be the fabled Blue Queen. Though she says nothing, her rotting, bony finger pointing out to sea is clear enough: return to Fennbirn.  

Jules, too, is in a strange place—in disguise. And her only confidants, a war-gifted girl named Emilia and her oracle friend Mathilde, are urging her to take on a role she can’t imagine filling: a legion-cursed queen who will lead a rebel army to Katharine’s doorstep.

This is an uprising that the mysterious Blue Queen may have more to do with than anyone could have guessed—or expected.

Hardcover, 320 pages
Expected publication: September 4th 2018 by HarperTeen
Pre-Order here and here

Is it time yet? Time to have my heart broken into pieces again? Haha :D This series is killing me. And I love it so. Kendare is the best. But, yeah. That last book. My poor heart. I must know what happens next. Both excited and worried, haha :D I just cannot wait for Two Dark Reigns. Eee. It is going to be so so good. And so heartbreaking, I'm sure. I cannot wait. And so excited to own all the editions of it too :D
What are you waiting for on this dark Wednesday?

Saturday, July 7, 2018

In My Mailbox #348

Another week gone by. And so fast too. Still waiting for summer over here. Ugh. 11C outside and rain. So rude. But looks like next week will be around 20C every day and sunshine. Just, please, no wind. It has been windy every week so far and it suuucks. So cold. I need summer heat already. Hmph. Ouch. I went to the doctor this Monday and had a mole removed. It was not simple like it was before.. about ten needle sticks first, then a lot of cutting and sewing and ahhh. It still hurts. Ugh. Removing the stitches next week. Hoping it won't hurt forever. Hmph. My (most likely) broken little toe still hurts when I move it too much. But it's better at least, so that's good. Medicine is still mostly working, so yay for that. I'm still exhausted and tired all the time, though, and I think that might be a new disease. Ugh. So rude. But anyway. This week was pretty good :) I'm playing a lot of PokemonGO, all the time, haha. And spa baths almost every day. So good. I only managed to read one book this week, rude. But I have planned to read more this coming week; hopefully I will manage that. Fingers crossed. My reading list is so huge. Ack. Only two new blog posts. This week I'm waiting on Willa of the Woods :D And shared my review of Aftermath. <3 Also gosh! The mail this week! I am dying of happiness :D Eeeee. It is all so so so awesome. Sigh. Love.



Dreaming Dangerous. So excited to read another MG book by Lauren, eee :D Think I will love it so much.
The Girl With the Ghost Machine. Paperback edition. <3 I own all copies of her MG books; so much love.
Fire + Rebel of the Sands. AHH! Thank you so so much Calla for trading with me :D I AM DYING! LOVE!
Crash Bandicoot. I remember playing this years ago; and I cannot wait to try this version :D Very excited.
Pop Figures. Gosh. Everyone arrived at the same time, haha :D All of them shipped a month ago; such slow shipping. Ugh. Still waiting on a few, but gosh, these are all perfect. My Stranger Things collection is just growing and growing :D Love them all. And more Moana :D And Harry Potter. Eee. Love. Also could not resist the Star Wars one, haha, despite not ever having watched one of those movies. Ack. So cute.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, July 6, 2018

Review: Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong

I was both so excited and nervous before starting this book. Because I wanted so badly to love it, yet was worried I would not. Thankfully, I very much enjoyed this book. I even stayed up past three am because I had to finish it. Four stars for this, as it was almost perfect. Hoping Kelley will write more YA thrillers.

There is so so much to say about this book, yet I know I will not write down very much about it. Because this book just have to be read and be loved. I enjoyed the writing a lot, which I am happy about. Had no problem connecting to the main girl and the story. And gosh, this story. It was all kinds of heartbreaking and rude.

This book tells the story of sixteen year old Skye. Three years ago, her brother was one of three who shot and killed teenagers at their school. He did not kill anyone, but he had a gun, and he was shot and killed by the police. Days after, Skye and her mom moved away, because they could not live there any longer with how everyone was blaming them and wishing them dead as well. Skye has gotten a bunch of ugly messages and been bullied so much these past three years. It broke my heart the very most. She has not had it easy. With her brother being one of the shooters, her not able to remember him without having to hate him too. With her mother being very depressed. With her Gran having strokes. And then she have to move back to her home town.

Before the shooting three years ago, Skye had become best friends with Jesse. They had been hanging out for six months, and they were such awesome friends. And just beginning to become something more. Then the shooting happened. Skye lost her brother. Jesse's brother was one of those killed. Then Skye left. And they have not spoken together since then. There are a few small scenes remembering back to those times, when they were thirteen, and it was so good and sad to read about. Loved it so. My heart.

This book tells the story of when Skye returned to her home town to live with her aunt. And back to high school. Where everyone knows her, knows what her brother did. And just about everyone hates her too. Reading about how mean some of the kids could be was pretty heartbreaking. Skye did not deserve any of their hate. She did not have anything to do with the shooting, and she had no idea that it was going to happen either. Yet they all hate her. And it broke my heart. A few talk to her, and I so loved them for that.

Then she meets Jesse again, in school. He was not behaving nicely towards her at all. Which broke my heart even more. Ugh. There are a few chapters from his point of view, so we understand his feelings about things, and I loved that so. He is hurt. And he feels abandoned by Skye all those years ago. And so he is rude to her now. Which was not okay. But he do get better, thankfully. They have both changed so much in the past three years. Yet they are still the same too. And gosh, how I loved getting to know them.

Skye was such an amazing girl. Broken, yet strong. Getting to read about her past was awesome, she was such a fun girl. Though she is more broken now, she is still the same deep down, and I loved that. This girl deserves the best. And Jesse was amazing too. I so loved getting to know him. His complicated relationship with his dead brother. His relationship with his parents. Also, gosh, how I adored them. They were the very best. Yesss. Skye's aunt was kind of the worst, but she got so much better, and I loved that.

There is a lot going on in this book. Skye and Jesse meeting up again, slowly beginning to talk to each other. Getting to know each other again. And falling for each other all over again. Eee. It was the very cutest thing. Best small romance. I loved it tons. They are the cutest. This book is also a thriller, though. Skye is getting strange messages in her locker. Getting videos of the shooting sent to her phone. She is being bullied. Someone is telling her to look into the shooting. It was exciting and a bit scary too. Loved it.

The reason for why I'm giving this book four stars is because I sometimes had a few small issues with the writing. The very few Jesse chapters were written in a different way, which was a little annoying. Still good writing, but different, and easy to notice. Hmph. I also did not completely love everything about the book. Wouldn't have minded if the thriller part had been a bit more. But despite that, I very very much liked and enjoyed this book. It was so good. And I am so glad that I read it. And all of you should too. It is worth it.

Aftermath is a story about friendship and family and heartbreaking and tragedy. It is also a thriller. And about finding out the truth. It is about first loves. And I enjoyed every moment of this book. It was sweet and sad and exciting. And just so so very good. It is also a very real book. About school shootings. Which is happening all the time in the US lately. Which is all kinds of heartbreaking. This book is about a school shooting. And how lives are changed after that. It is a pretty sad story, but also very much worth reading.


Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday #351

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

WILLA OF THE WOOD BY ROBERT BEATTY

Goodreads Description:

Escape into the story of a brave and unusual girl brimming with the ancient powers of the forest. From Robert Beatty, the author of the #1 New York Times best-selling Serafina books, comes a thrilling new series filled with the history, mystery, and magic of the Great Smoky Mountains. Kirkus Reviews described WILLA OF THE WOOD as "A moving, atmospheric journey of hope."

Move without a sound. Steal without a trace.

Willa, a young night-spirit, is her clan's best thief. She creeps into the cabins of the day-folk under cover of darkness and takes what they won't miss. It's dangerous work--the day-folk kill whatever they don't understand--but Willa will do anything to win the approval of the padaran, the charismatic leader of the Faeran people.

When Willa's curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in the day-folk world, she calls upon the old powers of her beloved grandmother, and the unbreakable bonds of her forest allies, to escape. Only then does she begin to discover the shocking truth: that not all of her day-folk enemies are the same, and that the foundations of her own Faeran society are crumbling. What do you do when you realize that the society you were born and raised in is rife with evil? Do you raise your voice? Do you stand up against it?

As forces of unfathomable destruction encroach on her forest home, Willa must decide who she truly is, facing deadly force with warmest compassion, sinister corruption with trusted alliance, and finding a home for her longing heart.


Hardcover, 384 pages
Expected publication: July 10th 2018 by Disney-Hyperion
Pre-Order here and here

This book looks all kinds of gorgeous and sounds so awesome. Eee. I cannot wait to read it later this month :D So excited for it. I have only read the first Serafina book, but I have them all, and excited to read all of them soonish too. But gosh, I cannot wait to meet Willa. She seems amazing. Love this cover lots.
What are you waiting for on this dangerous Wednesday?