Saturday, August 30, 2014

In My Mailbox #148

This has been a good week. For reading. Sigh. So much love. <3 And I did get some pretty amazing books this week too :D So I'm happy about that. Much missing, though, as always. Which just sucks. Sigh. Anyway. There is a bunch of new blog posts on my blog this week :D First I read Fiendish last Sunday. <3 Then another new Cress Tuesday :D And I'm waiting on Blue Lily, Lily Blue. <3 Then there was the Summerfall by Claire Legrand teaser blast :D Where I share a teaser and host an amazing giveaway. <3 This Monday I decided to start re-reading His Dark Materials. Which I did. And which I loved. My heart adores these books. Though they still kill me with their sad. Sobs. So there are a lot of reviews coming. <3 Book Recommendation of The Golden Compass. Book Recommendation of The Subtle Knife. Book Recommendation of The Amber Spyglass. Review of Lyra's Oxford. Review of Once Upon a Time in the North. <3 And now I'm very excited to read them for a third time, hih. What did you get this week?

I'm giving away THREE hardcover copies of the Norwegian edition of Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. You must all enter this giveaway. It's even International. And it has a gorgeous cover. Enter here. <3 

Don't forget to enter to win a Winterspell swag pack from Claire Legrand. <3 International. Enter here.



The Revenge of Seven. I.. have only read book one. Hah. But I did love it. And I do own all the books :)
Chasing Before. I adore Lenore. <3 She is amazing. And I did enjoy book one. Hoping to read it soonish.
Deliverance. Very soon I will read this. I must re-read book one and then read book two first, hih. Soon.
All Our Yesterdays. I do like this new paperback cover. <3 Just so heartbroken over no sequel :( Sobs.
The Year of Shadows. Claire is amazing. I adore her. And I love love this book. Gorgeous paperback. <3
Death Marked. Signed copy that I won from Leah :D Thank you so so much. <3 And I adore the bookmarks as well. So pretty. But oh. I am so damn heartbroken. I have peeked. I am not pleased. Sob.

  
How To Train Your Dragon 2. A huuuge Toothless that was a bit expensive, but I love him so much. <3 So big and gorgeous, hih. And a small/regular sized Cloud Jumper :) So cute. And Snotlout and Eret is in there too. So adorable. And then there are a bunch of books too. <3 I love them all so very much.
Lark Rising. I'm a part of the blog tour in September :D Thank you so much to Jaime for the ARC. <3
Deception. You know, I need all the editions of the books. Hah. So this is the US paperback. <3 Pretty.
Shannon Messenger swag. I adore these so much. Since I pre-ordered Exile. <3 Thank you Shannon :)
Aragorn's Quest. This was on sale, though still a bit expensive, but I wanted it. Someday I will play it :)


My signed copy. <3 Thank you  Leah :)

I downloaded this awesome sampler from Edelweiss. <3 So excited. But also so heartbroken, hah, as it is only one third of the book. Sobs! I want the whole thing so bad. <3 Maybe one day. March is still forever away. How unfair, hah. Anyway. I love the sampler :)

More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, August 29, 2014

Mini Review: Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman

This short book is about Lee Scoresby. Whom I adored in the His Dark Materials books. And I'm so glad I got to read more about him. This is told from his point of view, when he was twenty four years old. And oh. I adored him so much. So glad that I read this book. Because Lee and Hester are both so cute to read about.

Once Upon a Time in the North tells the story of when Lee and Iorek first met. And I loved it. I loved it a whole lot. Sure, there is no Lyra. And no Will. Sniffs. But I love Philip's writing and I adored reading about Lee. And a young Iorek too. He is still my favorite bear. So I very, very much enjoyed reading this book.

I won't say too much about this. Just that it is kind of long, which was awesome, and we get to know a lot about Lee. And I just loved getting to know his hare, Hester, better as well. His dæmon is just adorable. And I love reading about them together. And sniffs. We get to know how he got his riffle too. It all just breaks my heart, because I know how it ends. It's all so sad.

Anyway. I'm not going to say much more about this. Just that it is a stunning short story. And I very much enjoyed reading it. It is full of adventure and murder and fun too. Yeah. It isn't the longest story, but it was long enough, and I loved getting to know Lee more. But sobs. Now I'm even more upset, because I don't have more to read about this world. I don't have more words about Lyra and Will or their friends. Which is breaking my heart. And I'm hoping The Book of Dust news will come very soon. <3


Mini Review: Lyra's Oxford by Philip Pullman

Lyra's Oxford is a very short story. But it is still perfect. As I love the writing of Philip. And there is Lyra. And Pan. And it is beautiful. But yess. It is very, very short. And there is no Will. Sob. But it is still amazing. And I know now that I will be reading a bunch more books by Philip Pullman soonish. Most likely.

This short book takes place two years after The Amber Spyglass ended. And we get to see a little bit about Lyra's life in her world. We get to read a little bit about her school, which I kind of loved, and we get to see more of the gorgeous Pan. I loved the form he settled on. He's just so cute and adorable. Love him so.

I do wish this book had been longer. Because I need to read more about Lyra. Adore her so much. And Will. Sobs. She thinks a little bit about him in this one. But not enough. Sniffs. Still, it is an interesting story and I'm glad that I read it. I just want more from the characters and this world. Sniffs. I don't feel like it is done yet. I just feel like there can be so much more. <3

Which is why I'm dying for Philip to share more about The Book of Dust. Which will be about Lyra. Most likely. And I just need to know more about it. I need to know if Will is going to be in it too. I need to know if they will find a way to be together again. Sobs. And I want to read more about Iorek. And everyone. So yes. I'm just waiting here for Philip to say more about it. Hoping there will be news very soon, and that he is finished writing it shortly. I can't wait for it. <3 Anyway. This book was awesome :)


My review of Northern Lights. My review of The Subtle Knife. My review of The Amber Spyglass.

Update: Newer and better review of the book can be found here.

Book Recommendation: The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman


Oh. You beautiful trilogy. I cannot deal with how perfect these books are. And I'm so happy that I decided to re-read them at this moment. My heart is full. Though, of course, after this ending, it is also shattered into a million pieces. But I have hope. I have hope because I think I catched some hidden meanings in the ending. I hope. Yes. I'm going to hope. Otherwise this is just the saddest love story in all the world. But I don't think it is. I think The Book of Dust will heal me. Crossing all my fingers. <3

I could talk forever about The Amber Spyglass. Because there are about a thousand things happening at all times. And I loved reading about them all. I confess, I mostly wanted to read about Will and Lyra at all times. But I also confess to loving reading about the other characters. I loved getting to know them better and getting to see what they were doing. Though the scene with Iorek in the beginning was kind of heartbreaking. Sniffs. But it also made sense so it was kind of really beautiful at the same time.

There are a lot of different plot points in this book. And I loved reading about them all. I adored reading about the bears. The witches. I even liked the angels. And the little people. Sigh. They were kind of cute. But they all died so fast. Sniffs. Then there were the creatures Mary found, and I adored those too. It was so interesting to read about. Different. Yet all kinds of awesome. And I adored Mary as well. I enjoyed reading about her very much. And the things she did with her new friends. Yeah. I loved it all.

A lot of the plot is also about the Church. And the evil things they are doing in the worlds. And my god. I hated it. So much. As I do not believe in god, and I'm not a church person, so I kind of really liked reading about it all. Well. For the most part. It was interesting and it broke my heart all the evil things they all did. A bunch of different men, and they were all pretty awful. And then. Lord Asriel. I cannot with him. I hate so many things that he did. How many he hurt. But I also liked what he did in this book.

And Mrs. Coulter. I couldn't hate her. I tried to. Well, I hated her a little bit. She had done so many awful things. Hurt so many people. But she grew to love Lyra. And I couldn't hate her for that. And  did like some of the things she did in this book. So yeah. I did love reading about her and Asriel. They were interesting characters. Truly. I'm wishing we had seen a bit more about Serafina, though. But I did like reading about her at the end. Though that ending I will never forgive. Or forget. Sigh. So much sadness.

There are a lot of worlds in The Amber Spyglass. And I loved getting to see them all. Sigh. I loved watching Will with the knife. He's just awesome. Anyway. I loved when Will and Lyra went to the world of the dead. That was creepy. Yet also all kinds of amazing. I loved that plot twist. So good. But also so heartbreaking, when they were on the boat. Sniffs. And when Lyra fell. Sobs. But that was also beautiful to read about, hih, as the small romance between Will and Lyra killed me in this book. So good.

We see so much of Lyra and Will in this book. And I loved that. I loved that so much. But there is also not that much about them, as we get so many other point of views as well. Hmph. But I did love what I did get to read about them. They are just the most adorable characters. They are both so strong and brave and broken and loving and perfect. I couldn't love them more. They are so young. Yet so fierce and amazing. And they have the best friendship. Which turns into a bit more. And my heart. So beautiful.

The romance. Sigh. I wouldn't say that there is a lot of it. And it happens so late. And it's breaking my heart. But it is also the best romance of all time. Because Lyra and Will are so intense and they love each other so much and it's so beautiful and so heartbreaking and I loved it to pieces. It is written so well. But yesss. I do wish there had been a bit more. Sobs. And that ending. I will never forgive the ending to this book. It broke me. But it is also beautiful. And makes sense. But also so sad and awful.

One of the things I loved the most to read about in these books were the dæmons. They are beautiful and so perfect and my gosh. I want my own dæmon. Sobs. So much. I loved the relationship between Pan and Lyra. It is stunning. And I loved how person and dæmon can't be that far away from each other without dying. I loved how their bond works. How they understand and love each other. And ack. I just cannot. Philip Pullman did a beautiful job with these books. And I will forever and always love them.

There is so much I could say about this book. Because this book has everything. There is an epic adventure. Full of mystery and heartbreak. It if fun and sweet and sad. There is fighting. And death. And everything was beautiful to read about. I loved The Amber Spyglass to pieces. <3 So glad that I re-read it. You need to read this book. You truly do. Now I will be reading the short stories. <3 And wait forever for more news about The Book of Dust. I must know more. I must know it now. So excited. <3

My review of Northern Lights. My review of The Subtle Knife. My review of The Amber Spyglass.

Update: Newer and better review of the book can be found here.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Book Recommendation: The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

 

Sigh. I'm so glad I'm re-reading these books right now. Because I feel like I'm loving them even more. And I'm realizing that I've forgotten so much of these books. But not the important parts. Not how much I loved them. But yes. I'm pretty sure I loved The Subtle Knife even more this time around. But omg. It is too short. I need more. Thankfully, I'm re-reading book three next. <3 And I cannot wait. But then. I also don't want to read it yet, because I know what's coming. And it will break my heart all over again.

The Subtle Knife is the book where we meet Will. Who will forever have such a huge part of my heart. Sniffs. He is just twelve years old, but he is the most adorable and broken and honest and sweetest boy. I love the love he has for his mother, who is quite sick, in a way. I love how much he loves her and cares for her. And protects her. Sniffs. I adored his cat too, Moxie. Adorable. But mostly I loved Will. He is just the best. And my heart broke for him all the time. It is just so sad and perfect. I love this book.

I don't know how to talk about this book. I'm not sure I even want to. Because it is just simply stunning. It is such an amazing second book. And I love it to pieces. And while there is so much happening, there is also not that much that happens. But everything is amazing to read about. Mostly I loved to read from Will's point of view. But I did enjoy other parts too. Like the witches. I did like reading about them for the most part. They were interesting. And Lee Scoresby. Sobs. I adored him a lot. He was awesome.

There is also Lyra in this book. Because this is still her story. And oh, how I still adore Lyra. She is amazing. Though she do makes some mistakes in this book. Which made me so sad. Yet I couldn't blame her. She's too cute. And my gosh, how I ship Lyra and Will. <3 Sure, they are young, but not too young for a gorgeous relationship. Sigh. Anyway. I loved seeing Lyra and Will together. They are fierce. And they become such great friends and it's breaking my heart a little. This friendship is the best one.

There is so much I could say about this book. But I don't want to. I only wanted to say a little bit. There are some bad people in this book. Adults and kids. Shudders. And there is a knife. And it is a bit creepy yet I loved it. There are Specters that creeped me out so much. And it is full of adventure and mystery and amazing characters. Oh, how I love these worlds. And this plot. And all these adorable characters. I will never get enough of this series. And I will always want more. But yeah. This book as awesome.

If you have yet to start reading this book I'm not sure what's wrong with you. If you don't think you will love it, you are wrong. Because this book is stunning. It is beautiful. And heartbreaking. And just all kinds of amazing. You really need to start reading this series. <3 And read this book. Because the story of Lyra and Will is one of the best ones. And it will always be a big part of me. Even if it will break my heart. It is still the best. And I need you all to read and love this book too. I just loved it so much. <3

My review of Northern Lights. My review of The Subtle Knife. My review of The Amber Spyglass.

Update: Newer and better review of the book can be found here.

Waiting on Wednesday #150

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

BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE (The Raven Cycle #3) 
BY MAGGIE STIEFVATER

Goodreads Description:


The third installment in the mesmerizing series from the irrepressible, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

 

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.


Hardcover, 416 pages
Expected publication: October 21st 2014 by Scholastic Press
Pre-Order here.

Dying for this. Which is why it is my special number 150 post. <3 You have no idea how much I want this book. I want it so so so much. And I know I will love it. Despite being beyond nervous about it. I just need my Gansey to be happy. <3 With Blue. Pretty please? :) Sigh. I just need this book. I need to read it right away. Also, I adore Maggie. She writes amazing books. I have loved all the books I have read by her so far. I have read almost all of them, hih. She's awesome. My cover reveal post here. <3
What are you waiting for on this blue wednesday?    

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Book Recommendation: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman


This is my second time reading this book. I first read it in April last year. Back then I read the UK edition; Northern Lights. Which is still my favorite cover of them all. But this time I wanted to read a hardcover, and not a paperback. And oh, how much I love this book. I cannot wait to re-read the next two books as well. Starting in a moment. Ever since I first read His Dark Materials, I wanted to re-read the books. But I have been scared of the ending of book three. But I'm glad I decided to read them now.

There is so much I could say about this book. So much. But I will not. I cannot. Because I would never finish talking about it. Instead I'm going to just say a few short things about it, to share my love for it. Because my love for this book? It is huge. I'm so glad I re-read it. First, the writing is stunning. It might have taken me a long time to read this book, because there are a lot of words, but they are all awesome and I didn't mind the time. I just fell in love with it all. The writing and the characters and the world.

This book is about Lyra. Whom I think is eleven years old. I'm still a bit unsure about that, as I don't know if she lied or not. But I think it's true. Because most of the time she acts like a child. And she's adorable. But she can also act so grown up and I loved that about her. Lyra is just an amazing main character. And I adored reading about her. I couldn't have loved her more. Okay, fine, I might have wished she had been older. But then the plot wouldn't have worked. And this plot is just so stunning.

While this book is about Lyra, there are also some other very important characters in it. First there are the dæmons. Everyone has one. It is their very soul, kind of. In the shape of an animal. Who can talk. And share your thoughts. And my god, it was just the sweetest thing. I want my own dæmon. Lyra has Pan, whom is adorable. I loved reading about him. Just so cute. I loved all the different animals he changed into. Sigh. The whole dæmon thing was just so interesting. It's different and beautiful.

The characters. Sigh. So many. There is Lyra's best friend, Roger. Though I felt like we saw too little of him, so I didn't care much. There is Ma Costa, whom I adored. I adored all the gyptians. They were awesome. Then, Lord Asriel. Ugh. I hated him. I hated how he treated and hurt Lyra. I did not like him. And Mrs. Coulter. I couldn't stand her. But she was an interesting character and her dæmon was the creepiest little monkey. Ack. I did love reading about all the characters in this book. They were all great.

There is so much happening in this book. I cannot describe it all. But I do want to say that I loved reading about the panserbjørne. They were amazing. I loved Iorek. And I liked the witches too. Sigh. Mostly I loved all the moments in this book. When Lyra find that boy in the small village up North. That broke my heart. It killed me a little. It was so evil and heartbreaking and beautiful. So well done. There are many depressing scenes in this book. And I loved every one of them. So well written, all of it.

I want to mention it all. But I will not. I will just say a few more things. Like how beautiful this book is. How full of adventure it is. How mysterious it is. How heartbreaking it is. How fun and sweet it is. Sigh. I adored Lyra so much and I loved reading about her. But oh. What I did not remember from reading this book last year was how much it would make me cry. Because I cried a lot while reading it this time. It is all so sad. I loved it so much. Philip Pullman is an amazing author. Can't wait to read more from him.

I'm blaming Philip Pullman for my desire to start re-reading these books right away. Because he replied to my question on twitter. Which kind of killed me a little. And I'm so excited to be reading these books again. <3 So excited that I'm planning on buying this very special and very expensive version of the trilogy for myself for Christmas. <3 And I cannot wait to own them. Sigh. These are books you can read again and again. Well, if your heart can take it. Because, my god, they are heartbreakingly beautiful.

I tried not to talk too much about the book in this book recommendation of mine. I just wanted to share my love for it again. Which I hope I managed to do. And if you have yet to start reading this trilogy, then I hope you will consider doing it now. Because it is worth it. Oh, it is. It is worth all the heartbreak and all the tears. Because it is a beautiful story. So perfect. And I need you all to read these books. They are middle grade, but I believe they would touch the heart of anyone. As it did with me. Now, go read it.


My review of Northern Lights. My review of The Subtle Knife. My review of The Amber Spyglass.

Update: Newer and better review of the book can be found here.

Summerfall by Claire Legrand: Teaser Blast

Today is the release day for Summerfall by Claire Legrand. And I'm so lucky to be a part of this amazing Teaser Blast promotion that Claire is hosting :D It is the best. And I adore my teaser. And I cannot wait to read all the other teasers as well. So excited. Anyway. Summerfall is the prequel short story to Winterspell, which is coming out in September. I have already read and beyond loved Winterspell; and I will be reading Summerfall shortly. I could not be more excited. I'm such a huge fan of Claire and I love all her books. This short story sounds amazing. And I'm so excited to finally be reading it. <3 Anyway. I hope you enjoy the teaser for it :D And I hope you end up buying Summerfall. And, of course, Winterspell too. Because you need to get to know Clara and Nicholas as well. They are adorable. And all books by Claire are perfect. Go buy and read them all! There is also this amazing giveaway below. Claire is giving away this awesome swag pack; which is open internationally. So go enter. <3 You know you want this swag pack. Because I do, lol. Hope you enjoy :) Also, Claire is the kindest and sweetest person. <3





Rinka is a faery, passionate and powerful, determined to maintain the tenuous peace between faeries and humans.

Alban Somerhart is a human, a reluctant king trapped in an arranged marriage, desperate to prevent war.

Their love could save the kingdom of Cane . . . or shatter it forever.

In this captivating novella, prequel to the upcoming Winterspell, Claire Legrand weaves a story of magic, political intrigue, and forbidden love that sets the stage for the rise of a wicked queen and the journey of a human girl named Clara . . .



The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince . . . but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted--by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they're to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets--and a need she can't define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed--if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.




Claire Legrand is the author of books for children and teens, including The Cavendish Home for Boys and GirlsThe Year of Shadows, the upcoming Winterspell, and its prequel, Summerfall. She is also one of the four authors of The Cabinet of Curiosities.

When not writing books, she can be found obsessing over DVD commentaries, going on long walks (or trying to go on long runs), and speaking with a poor English accent to random passersby. She thinks musicians and librarians are the loveliest of folks (having been each of those herself) and, while she loves living in central New Jersey, she dearly misses her big, brash, beautiful home state of Texas.

Her work is represented by Diana Fox of Fox Literary, LLC. 



Where to find the amazing Claire Legrand:

All the links to where you can buy Summerfall:


Cress Tuesday #44

I don't think I will ever get tired of sharing these Cress teasers with you all. It just makes my heart happy to read small bits of Cress every time I choose a new teaser, hih. As you know, I adore these books. So much. And waiting for Winter is torture. November 2015 better arrive fast. <3 I'm also beyond excited for Fairest out in January :D It will be amazing. Sigh. Soon I will re-read them all. And I cannot wait. I adore this story and all the awesome characters. Marissa is amazing. I hope you are all enjoying these small and mostly non-spoilery teasers from Cress :) See all the previous Cress Tuesdays here. <3


~

She pulled on her hair, wishing there was more of it to toy with, to twist and knot 
and take out her fluttering nerves on. But it was short now. Short and light and freeing, 
and everyone was still staring at her. Goose bumps raced down her arms.

~

I still adore Cress. She is amazing. And I loved re-reading this scene. Sigh.

Was allowed to do this by Marissa and Macmillan; Thank you. <3 Marissa is the best. Check out her amazing website :D I'm also very much in love with the Lunar Chronicles facebook. So pretty. I hope you enjoy the teasers :) There will be one teaser each Tuesday. Can't wait for you all to read Cress :) Also, the teasers are now from my finished hardcover copy of Cress :D And oh, how it is gorgeous. <3

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Review: Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff

I liked this book. I liked this book a lot. I was hoping that I would love it, as I have enjoyed three other books by Brenna. And with that cover and summary, how could I not love this book? But I was also worried. But I didn't have to be. Because this book was pretty amazing. And I loved it so very much.

Fiendish is told from the point of view of seventeen year old Clementine. Who has been trapped in the cellar of her house for the past ten years. Shudders. That was creepy to read about. She has been sleeping and dreaming and aware of it sometimes. It just all sounded so awful. Yet also so amazing too, in a way.

The worst of it was that her eyes were sewn shut. That was very creepy for me. Ack. But, thankfully, it doesn't take a big part of this story. But I did love that it was included, because it was creepy. Which I love. Anyway. Clementine has been shut away. Which we learn the reasons for after some time. The beginning of the book is about her being found by a boy, Eric Fisher. Whom we are calling Fisher. And I loved that part too. Clementine was so adorable when she was finally taken out of the closet of her burned down house. It was weird. And creepy. But it was sweet too. And oh. The plot in this book is just all kinds of awesome. It is different and amazing. I loved reading about it all. But it did break my heart that Clementine was locked away and forgotten for so long. It was heartbreaking. And all kinds of amazing too. Fiendish has an awesome story line. There is so much happening yet I always wanted even more to be happening. Which is good.

I don't want to share all the details about this book. Just some of the things that I loved. First I should say that the writing is beautiful. I had no issues with it, which was very good for me. I loved the writing. And I adored all the characters. Well, I didn't like Davenport. Hah. But I loved just about everyone else. And the romance in this book is stunning. Sigh. It isn't too much of it, but at the same time it has a huge part in the book. And I loved that. Because it is a sweet romance. And a great friendship too.

There are a lot of characters to get to know in this book. There is the best friend, Shiny. Whom I loved and hated at the same time. I didn't like some of the things she said to Clementine. But I did adore her most of the time. And I felt so sorry for her, for how she lived with her mom. As her mom is not quite there. Ack. Still. I did mostly love Shiny. The other friend is Rae. Whom I also liked a lot. She was cute and fun. I'm glad that there were friends for Clementine in this book, as I ended up loving them a lot.

There is, of course, a boy. And it is the best boy. I loved getting to know Fisher. He's an amazing character. Sure, he's kind of a coward at times. But he is also kind and loving and honest. We didn't get to see him all that much, but I loved reading about him. I found the things he could do to be pretty exciting. And, heh, I kind of really loved the romance between him and Clementine. It was cute. Ack. It was just so adorable and I wanted more. Fisher's grandma was weird, though. I'm not sure I forgive her.

I will not say much more about this book. Just that the plot is all kinds of exciting. There are many creatures in this book. And people. And witches. And people with powers. And creepy things. And exciting things. Fiendish was just all kinds of awesome. And I liked it a lot. I just wish it hadn't ended, because I wanted so much more about Clementine and Fisher. I wanted to know more about what happens next. Mostly I wanted to read about them all some more. But the ending was pretty awesome.

I'm just not sure how to rate this book. I'm thinking it was a five star read. As I loved it a lot and there wasn't anything I disliked about it. But at the same time, I wanted a little bit more. I wanted the book to be longer. I wanted a little bit more romance. But then, this book was also all kinds of awesome. It didn't have any silly drama. It didn't have any heartbreak. It didn't have any love triangle. And it had a bunch of other amazing things. Things that made me love it. So I'm going to go with a five star rating for this.

I found Fiendish to be an amazing book. It was full of mystery and suspense. It was full of sweet and sad moments. Mostly it just made me happy. It was a great book. And I'm so glad that I read it. <3 I'm crossing all my fingers that there might someday be a sequel for this book, because I do feel like there could be more, and I just really want more of Clementine and Fisher together. <3 They were adorable. Sigh. Anyway. I thought this book was awesome. And I think you should all read it. Because it's amazing.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

In My Mailbox #147

Hmph. I need to read more. I just haven't felt like reading a lot lately. And I'm still behind on commenting. Though I do comment on a lot of blogs each day. Just need to catch up on my own blog. Ack. And I will. Soon. Once I manage to find the time for it. Or once I stop being lazy. Sigh. Anyway. I'm planning on reading more this upcoming week. Most likely. I have so many books to read. So so many bought books that I have had for years. Ack. And tons of eARCs. And some print ARCs. And oh. I need more time. But I will try to read them all. <3 Anyway. Last weekend I re-watched The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. <3 And my god. They are still my favorites. I want to re-watch them again and again. Hih. I also wrote a The Lord of the Rings blog post. I shared a new Cress Tuesday. <3 Then I decided to re-read Jellicoe Road. Which was the best decision. Perfect book :D This week I'm waiting on Everblaze. <3 And I'm sharing about the Norwegian edition of Jellicoe Road. <3 And then I read The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place. It was adorable. And fun. And creepy. Anyway. I did get some amazing books this week :D I'm happy with it all. <3 But.. I'm also still waiting on so much. Grrr. I do not like waiting on mail. Especially things I have won. I feel like they are lost in the mail, and will never arrive. Ack. But I'm crossing my fingers for next week. <3 Anyway. What did you get this week?

I'm giving away THREE hardcover copies of the Norwegian edition of Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. You must all enter this giveaway. It's even International. And it has a gorgeous cover. Enter here. <3



Percy Jackson's Greek Gods. This is HUGE. And gorgeous. So stunning. Hoping to read it soonish. <3
Fiendish. I have waited a long time for this. Just need to want to read it, hih. Maybe I'll read it next :D
Gustav Gloom. I adore Gustav Gloom. He is adorable. I need to read this fourth book soon. <3 Pretty.
The Queen of the Tearling. I won this from Becky at Stories and Sweeties. <3 Thank you sweetie. I.. well. Fine. I hated this book. But when I won a book from her, I wanted this. Because it is gooorgeous.
Jellicoe Road. I got this from the Norwegian publisher; Heinesen :D Thank you William. GORGEOUS.
Quintana of Charyn. US paperback edition. <3 I adored this book. And oh, just look how pretty it is.
Grave Mercy. I had to finally buy the UK paperback edition, hih. Now I have them all, I think :D Pretty.
How To Train Your Dragon 2. These figures are adorable. So cute. Hiccup is awesome, hih. Love them.
The Shadow Society. I just had to own this amazing book in paperback too. <3 Isn't it just gorgeous?
House of Secrets. I got book two in ARC for review a while back. Had to buy this :D Reading them soon.



Princess Mononoke. Gorgeous t-shirt I bought. <3 It looks stunning. And I adore this movie. So good.
Antigoddess. This new US paperback is perfect looking. I want another one. Ack. And I love this book.
Keeper of the Lost Cities: Exile. One of my other copies was damaged.. So they sent me a new one :D
Wild Things. I kind of adore Dominic. So I had to buy these via Amazon. Hopefully watching soonish :)
Fire. I had to buy this audiobook. <3 Love this book. Need the Graceling one too. Too expensive for now.
The Fire Sermon. I got this chapter sampler from the UK publisher. <3 It looks gorgeous. Reading soon :D
Jellicoe Road. Heh. I might have gotten three copies from the Norwegian publisher to give away to family/friends :D Don't they look gorgeous? <3 Omg. I want them all for myself. Hah. Just so pretty. There is also a giveaway on my blog for three other copies that the publisher will send to you. <3


The Jumbies. Red Queen. I'm excited for The Jumbies. <3 It looks creepy and awesome. So I'm crossing all my fingers I might love it. <3 Huge thank you to Algonquin for accepting my NetGalley request. <3 And then they auto-approved me. ACK! So exciting :) Sigh. Red Queen. I was curious about it. So I had to download it via Edelweiss. But I peeked. And I am not happy. Stupid fucking love triangles. I'm not pleased at all with what I peeked on. So I'm not sure I will read this book. Sniffs. Maybe I will read it.


My collection of Antigodess by Kendare Blake. <3 So far :D
As always, bunch of pictures on my Instagram. <3

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Review: The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry

Well. When I first heard about this book I knew I had to read it. But I did not imagine that I would love it like I did. And gosh, did I love it. This book was all kinds of perfect. I had some issues in the beginning, but that is all forgotten. This book was stunning. Mysterious. Funny. Sweet. A bit creepy. So perfect.

It is unfair, really, how amazing this book was. Because now I regret not reading it sooner. But I'm glad I decided to read it today. As I could not put it down. Not even for a moment. This book just had it all. I was unsure in the beginning, but then it only got better and better. It was so good I'm going with 5 stars.

There is so much I could say about this stunning book. But I do not want to give away all the secrets. So I will just say a few things. Which may turn out to be much. We'll see. First. I'm not sure how to decide which age group this book belongs. I would say young adult. But it could also be middle grade. So I'm saying it is in between. And that you all need to read it, no matter what you read. The youngest girl is twelve. But the others are older. It is never said how old, but I'm guessing late in their teens. And oh. There is so much to love in this book. It is told from many different point of views. I think its third person. But I have no idea how to tell these things, lol, so I'm not sure. I just know I got to know a lot from the different girls and I know that I loved the writing in this book. It took me a little while in the beginning to get to love it, but I got there. And I'm so glad I loved it all. The writing. The characters. The plot. The 1890 time setting.

This book begins with a murder. Well, with two murders. And it is the most awesome murders. I loved reading about it. It's a bit creepy yet it is also so much fun. And I couldn't help but love it. The seven girls are attending a small private school just for them. Their headmistress and her brother has just died in front of them. And oh, so much of this book focus on that. On what the girls do next. And it is all so wonderful. I loved every moment of it. Sure, it's a bit extreme what they do, but I loved it to pieces.

There are so many girls to love in this book. Sure, it might have taken me a while to remember them. As I'm not so good with this many characters. But I'm glad there were seven girls. Because they were all adorable and I loved reading about them all. Mary Jane was just so much fun and flirty and I adored her. Elinor was a bit creepy yet I loved her too. Louise was so young and innocent yet so clever too. Alice was so cute. Martha too. And Roberta as well. My favorite was Kitty, though. She was so perfect for me.

There is so much happening in this book. There are cute boys. And they all made me smile. This isn't a romance book, but the boys are there a little bit, and it's just so cute. My favorite was Julius for Kitty. Though Henry for Martha was cute too. Ack. Then there is the very old Admiral. He was a charmer. I loved reading about them all. Though some characters were a bit creepy. But most of the time I loved reading about all the different characters. Because they were all very exciting to get to know better.

Most of this book is a murder mystery. Who killed the headmistress. And a lot of the book is covering it up. The girls dressing up as her. And oh, it was all so fun. But a bit scary for them. And I just loved every moment of it. Sigh. I don't want to say much more. Just that it is very mysterious. And the murderer came as a surprise to me. Which was quite fun. This whole book was just fun and it has left me with a smile on my face. And I love this book for doing that. Yeah. I really enjoyed reading this book.

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place was a fun book. It made me laugh. And then it almost made me cry as well. It is fun and sad and scary and mysterious. I never wanted this book to end. I loved the mystery. I loved the relationship between the seven girls. I even adored the dog. I could not have been happier about this book. Well, there was this one thing that I was not happy about. There is no sequel. And I want one so much. I want more about the girls. And Julius. Hih. I'm hoping for one.

Huge thank you to Ksenia at Macmillan Kids for sending me this gorgeous print ARC. <3 I'm so glad I read it. And I cannot wait to get it in hardcover as well. Also, this cover? Isn't it just stunning? I adore it. All the girls look so adorable and ack. I cannot wait to see the finished version with the art of the girls inside as well. I know this will be a book that I can read again and again. And I will. You all need to read this book. Seriously. It is so good. And you must all read it when it comes out in September. <3

Jellicoe Road: Norwegian Edition + Giveaway

Hi everyone! Today I'm sharing with you the Norwegian edition of Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. <3 I got my stunning hardcover in the mail today from the Norwegian publisher, Heinesen Forlag :) As you know, this is a favorite book of mine. I just read it for the third time, and blogged more about it here. I cannot wait to try reading it in Norwegian. I'm sure it will be awesome. But anyway. The cover for this book is beyond beautiful. As you can see in some pictures below. The Norwegian publisher kindly offered to give away 3 copies of this edition to readers of my blog. Anyone, from anywhere, can enter to win. Just be aware that the language in the book in Norwegian. Which is beautiful. And I know that if I lived in a different country, I would want this book so much. As I need all the editions, hih. <3 And this is just so gorgeous. I hope you will all enter to win this beautiful book :) What do you think of this edition? <3


Rules.
It's international.
There will be three winners.
They must respond within 48 hours.
The giveaway ends three weeks from today.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #149

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

EVERBLAZE (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) 
BY SHANNON MESSENGER

Goodreads Description:

Sophie Foster is ready to fight back.

Her talents are getting stronger, and with the elusive Black Swan group ignoring her calls for help, she’s determined to find her kidnappers—before they come after her again.

But a daring mistake leaves her world teetering on the edge of war, and causes many to fear that she has finally gone too far. And the deeper Sophie searches, the farther the conspiracy stretches, proving that her most dangerous enemy might be closer than she realizes.

In this nail-biting third book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must fight the flames of rebellion, before they destroy everyone and everything she loves.


Hardcover, 576 pages
Expected publication: November 4th 2014 by Aladdin
Pre-Order here.

You know. I'm DYING for Everblaze. Really, truly dying. I need this book. And I need it now. Because oh. It is a stunning middle grade series. Exciting. Fun. Sad. I love it. And I love Shannon too. She is just so kind and sweet. And ack! This cover! My cover reveal post here. It is Fitz and Sophie. And it is killing me a bit. Sigh. I just need this book already. I can't wait to read it. <3 Very, very excited for this.
What are you waiting for on this blazing wednesday?    

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta


Why I love Jellicoe Road: It is full of heartbreak and love and it's one hundred percent real. I'm so glad I finally decided to read this book again. This was my third time reading it; though I hadn't read it since last April. Which was too far away. I had forgotten just how much I loved this book. And now I love it even more. I had forgotten how sad it is. So sad that it made me cry a few times. Which doesn't usually happen. I had forgotten how much it would make me feel. How much I would love Taylor and Jonah. <3 

Because being part of him isn't just anything. It's kind of everything.

I'm trying to think of what I'm going to share about this book with you all. I want to share all of it. And I want to share none of it. Mostly I just want you all to go read this book. To go read it and love it and then come back and tell me. Which you now must do. But I will share a few things about Jellicoe Road today. I won't talk too much about the plot. Will just mention some of my love for it. My love for the characters. And there are a lot of characters to love in this book. First, the writing is simply gorgeous.

Jellicoe Road is told from the point of view of Taylor Markham. Whom I adored. She is such an amazing character. And we get to know her so well yet I always wanted to know more about her. I loved reading about her past. Because it is heartbreaking and mean and so real and honest. I loved reading about her mother who left her when she was eleven. I know that I didn't like her. But I still couldn't fully hate her or totally blame her. But that does not mean that I approved of the things she did. Which I did not. Sigh.

Though the book is from Taylor's point of view, we also get to read some stories about five other teenagers, many years back. Narnie, Tate, Webb, Fitz and Jude. I will not say much about them. Just that they are all adorable and I loved reading about their friendship and their lives and I could not get enough of them. Would have loved to know more. Their story is heartbreaking. And so real. It is just so sad and beautiful and it's done so well. Sigh. I think Narnie was my favorite of them all. Most likely.

There are so many characters in this book. So many that I loved to pieces. There is Taylor's best friend, Raffy. Though at first they aren't really hanging out that much. But it changes. And I adored Raffy. I loved seeing her kind of relationship with Chaz. And I adored reading about him too. And ack. I just want them together, hih. Then there is also Ben. Whom is just this adorable guy. One of the best things about this book is that there is no love triangle. Not at all. No kisses with other people. Thank god, hah.

But there is romance. Oh, how there is romance in Jellicoe Road. Because there is this boy. Jonah Griggs. And he is kind of everything. I loved reading about him. So so much. His past is just the saddest. Well, he and Taylor both have the saddest pasts. But his killed me a little. Like what almost happened three years ago. Sniffs. Anyway. I adore Jonah. I adore him to pieces. I loved reading about him. And the slow romance between him and Taylor. It was everything. It was perfect. It was beautiful.

"No," I say, looking up at Griggs. "It's actually because my heart belongs to someone else."
And if I could bottle the look on his face, I'd keep it by my bedside for the rest of my life.

There is so much I love in this book. I love getting to know Taylor. I love getting to know the school she goes to. And all the kids there. Like small Jessa. She was kind of annoying most of the time, but I also ended up adoring her. She was pretty cute. And I loved how Taylor didn't truly like any of them in the beginning. How she kept her distance. And then getting to see her open up and become more for them all. I loved how much Taylor grows in this book. Because it is beautiful to watch. And I loved it so much.

I'm trying not to say too much about this book. But I think I'm failing in that. I know I have said a lot of this before, and that I'm not saying everything that I said before, but that's okay. I don't feel like sharing the entire plot. But I do feel like saying that the story in Jellicoe Road is stunning. It is interesting and fun and just all kinds of awesome. I loved reading about the territory wars. About the gorgeous friendships. I loved reading about all of it. Okay, I loved reading about Jonah and Taylor the most. <3

I take deep breaths, looking at the town stretched in front of me.
When I turn around, he cups my face in his hands and kisses me so deeply that
I don't know who is breathing for who, but his mouth and tongue taste like warm honey. 
I don't know how long it lasts, but when I let go of him, I miss it instantly.

I have so many favorite parts in this book. Okay, the entire book is my favorite. But I loved the times we get to know about Taylor's past. About when she used to live with her mom. How broken her mom was. How she didn't fully take care of Taylor. What happened when she was eleven, to her and Sam. It was heartbreaking. And yet so perfect too and so real and honest. I loved reading those moments. And I would love to know more about her past. Though I'm sure it would break my heart that much more.

The ending for this book is perfect. Okay, it is beyond heartbreaking in some ways. Yet it is also the perfect ending. Though I really want to know what happens next. I'm so curious about it all. Mostly I just want to read more about Jonah and Taylor. <3 I need more of their gorgeous romance. Sigh. It's just so beautiful. And omg. There will be a Jellicoe Road movie. And I am dying for more news about it. I think it will be perfect. Sure, I'm worried about how they will make it. But I'm also so excited about it.

I am done talking about this book now. Hopefully this post made sense at all. I just loved this book so, so much. It means so much to me. And it made my heart to funny things. I'm so glad I finally read it again. <3 And I cannot wait to read it even more times. It is the kind of book you can read again and again and never tire of it. Which is why you all need to read it if you have yet to do so. It's worth it. Also, I'm sharing a bunch of quotes in this post of mine. I love them all. And I hope you do too. <3

These people have history and I crave history. I crave someone knowing me 
so well that they can tell what I'm thinking. Jonah Griggs takes my hand under 
the table and links my fingers with his and I know that I would sacrifice almost 
anything just to keep this state of mind, for the rest of the week at least.

Cress Tuesday #43

I love sharing these Cress Tuesday teasers with you all each week. Because it makes me remember my love for this book. And my love is huge. Sigh. Cress is just such a perfect book. Now I'm just waiting for Winter to come out. And it kills me a little that it isn't out until November 2015. The wait will be long. But also worth it. Going to continue with these teasers for ages, most likely, lol. As I love doing them. Hope you do too. It makes me even more excited to be re-reading the three books in the near future. Hopefully I'll have the time for that soon, as I need to re-read more about Cinder and Kai, hih. <3 Anyway. If you haven't yet had the chance to read Cress, I'm hoping these teasers will convince you to do that :) If you have read it, I hope these teasers reminds you about how amazing this book was. Sigh. See previous Cress Tuesdays here. <3 Hope you are enjoying these (mostly) non-spoilery teasers :)


~

Another long, heartbreaking howl shook the hotel, 
and Cinder steadied herself as well as she could. "I'll get Wolf."

~

Sob. My poor Wolf.

Was allowed to do this by Marissa and Macmillan; Thank you. <3 Marissa is the best. Check out her amazing website :D I'm also very much in love with the Lunar Chronicles facebook. So pretty. I hope you enjoy the teasers :) There will be one teaser each Tuesday. Can't wait for you all to read Cress :) Also, the teasers are now from my finished hardcover copy of Cress :D And oh, how it is gorgeous. <3