Saturday, June 30, 2018

In My Mailbox #347

This week I managed to read two books. So yay for finally reading a little :D My health is mostly okay. Stomach is way better after new medicine, yesss. But the rest of me is exhausted and hurting and tired. Ugh. I also forgot to mention last week that I broke my little toe. Ahhh! It still hurts. I skipped the last step in my staircase, so I fell. It did not end well for me. Ugh. But it's getting better. Probably. I'm doing okay, though. This week I shared my review of Shadow of the Fox :) And I am waiting on Through the White Wood. <3 Then I shared my review of Bright We Burn :) Ack. I also got a lot of stunning mail this week, eee. I love it all so very much. Sigh. Some pretty bought books and lovely swag. And gosh, the trades I have done this week. I am dying. Maybe arriving next week, ahh :D I cannot wait. Sigh. So happy. <3 But also out of money, haha ;) Anyway. I'm hoping to be able to read lots more this coming week. Wait. No. I don't think I will have much time to read at all. Ahh. We are finally, finally getting some heat and sun this coming week, eee :D I cannot wait to finally be able to be outside again, haha. Been too long now with 10c and less and no sun. How rude. I need some heat. I had a pretty good week, though, so yay for that.



My Plain Jane. Yay! Hardcover finally arrived :D And it is so lovely. I loved this book a whole bunch. <3
Godsgrave. Ack. US paperback edition. Must have for my collection, haha. And it is all kinds of gorgeous.
Warcross. Okay, this cover is actually pretty stunning. Very much liked this book and love this paperback.
Now I Rise. Gah. I could not resist owning the new US paperback edition for my big collection. I love it.
All the Crooked Saints. A new UK paperback edition that I had to buy :D Gosh, I must read this one soon.
Imaginary Friends. I have the full book, but this small sampler version of it was too pretty to pass up on :D
Contagion Swag. Eee! Thank you so, so much Erin :D I am beyond thrilled with this stunning swag. <3



Fury. AHHH! Thank you so so so much to the lovely publisher for accepting my request to read this book via Edelweiss :D Eeee! I am SO excited to finish this trilogy. <3 Gosh. But first I must re-read book one and two :) Very shortly. But also, I have peeked, and I am so not sure my heart will survive. Ugh. <3


More Instagram photos here. <3

Review: Bright We Burn by Kiersten White

This series have been very complicated for me. I loved the first one. I very much disliked the second one. And this third one was right in the middle. Giving it three stars. It was a book that I could not stop reading. I loved the writing and Lada, but I did not love anything else about it. And I feel kind of disappointed, honestly.

Like the previous two books, this one is told from the point of view of Lada and Radu. Once again I really loved the writing of the book. I found it to be easy to read, and easy to connect with everything. Only wish the story had not hurt me so. Because, oh gosh, this book is painful. Most are going to love all of it, though.

But I did not. Because my feelings are a bit tender on certain things, haha. Romance especially. And I have a lot of thoughts about the romance in these books, which I will write about a lot shortly. But first I shall start with the characters. I still very much love Lada. She is the reason for why I'm reading these books; I have loved her so since the first book. She is so incredibly dark, though, and she does a lot of killing. Often killing a bit too much. But I didn't really mind, haha. I just loved reading about Lada. For the most part, that is. She was such an amazing girl and I loved getting to know more about her. But I also hated her at times. Ack. For how she treated Bogdan. For how she felt towards Mehmed. Hmph. This girl pretty much killed me. But loved her.

There is so much I could say about this book. I am not going to mention most of it. Though my review is probably going to end up pretty long, because there are some things I need to discuss. A few smaller spoilers, nothing huge, not really. This book was pretty exciting at times. There is war. And Lada is all kinds of brutal and dark. And I loved that about her. She does some horrible things, and those were the most exciting moments, haha. I loved reading about her as the Prince of her country. It was awesome.

Though this book was a bit boring at times too, because there were a whole lot of pages where nothing happened. Hmph. Yet it was still a good final book. I mean, nothing that I wanted to happen happened, so I'm sad about it. But the writing was great. And I loved this world. And the story was pretty interesting too. I just could not stand Radu and reading about him again pretty much broke me. Ugh. I shall not write too much about him. Just that Radu was not a kind man. At all. And yet he thinks he is. So highly annoying.

This book focus on Lada and Radu and Mehmed. Well, not really much about Mehmed at all. Just how they all live around him. And how him and Lada are going to war against each other. There is a whole lot happening. So complicated. Yet interesting to read about. Some things I did not care about at all, but I still could not stop reading this book. Which is a good feeling to have. But anyway. I'm not going to mention a lot of the plot. Only sharing some things that I had issues with about this, and how I felt. There is a bunch.

There is a whole bunch of characters in this book. And I loved some of them. Though I probably shouldn't have. Ugh. So many deaths. How rude. Lada is still my favorite, though. Despite how I did not approve of some of her choices. Hmph. Especially one choice made near the end of the book. It was heartbreaking and it bothers me a lot. Ahh. Lada deserved all the happiness. And it kills me that no one was willing to give that to her. Not even her brother. Hmph. I very much did not like their relationship. He was not good.

The romance. Sigh. I cannot with this romance. Mehmed is still obsessed with Lada, though he has not given her anything that she needed. Lada still has feelings for him too. And Radu is a bit unsure how he feels about Mehmed, as he cannot stop thinking about the other man he spent time with. There is truly no romance. Yet it still bothered me. Mehmed and Lada do not belong together, so I'm happy about that. But then there was Bogdan too, and Lada is sleeping with him and using him, and I so did not approve. Sigh.

I must mention that there was too much death in this one, too many important characters died. And we only really got one grief scene over all the deaths. And I did not care for that scene at all, because that death did not affect me one bit, haha. I was actually glad that death happened, to be honest. So that one grief scene was a bit annoying for me. Especially because a lot more important characters died, and I did not see any grief for them, and I wanted to, so badly. Those deaths may bother me for some time. Rude.

I must admit that I'm a bit bitter over the ending that Radu got. It was too good. And it makes me so so angry. Because I do not feel like he deserved a happy ending at all. He was not a good person. There was no pain and suffering for Radu. And I needed there to be. Ugh. I'm so disappointed about his ending, though I might be the only one who is, haha. He treated Lada so badly in all three books. And she always loved him, even so. I am not okay with that. Radu should have had a different ending. I did not like him.

Bright We Burn was sadly not the final book that I wanted it to be. It did not have the happy endings I wanted at all, and I'm still pretty heartbroken about that. I mean, the endings made sense, of course, and I loved how dark this book was. But I was still disappointed over how some things ended. Sigh. Though I will say that even though I was disappointed by this book, I still enjoyed reading it. Because I could not stop once I started. And I needed to know what happened next. I also really liked this world a whole lot.

I very much adore this author, though. Kiersten is awesome. But yeah, this series was a disappointment for me. I also have such a big collection of all the books, ack. But I don't really mind. They are gorgeous. Only wish I could have loved this final book. Sigh. But it was simply not for me. And it is a three star, not two, because I did not hate it like I did with the second one. Hmm. Huge thank you to Penguin Random House International for sending me the free ARC copy of this book to read and review. Love my copy so.


Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday #350

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

THROUGH THE WHITE WOOD BY JESSICA LEAKE

Goodreads Description:

Katya’s power to freeze anything she touches has made her an outcast in her isolated village. And when she loses control of her ability, accidentally killing several villagers, she is banished to the palace of the terrifying Prince Sasha in Kiev.

At the castle, though, she is surprised to find that Sasha is just like her—with his own strange talent, the ability to summon fire. Instead of punishment, Sasha offers Katya friendship, and the chance to embrace her power rather than fear it.

But outside the walls of Kiev, Sasha’s enemies have organized their own army of people who can control the very earth. Bent on taking over the entire world, they won’t stop until they’ve destroyed everything.

Katya and Sasha are desperate to stop the encroaching army, and together their powers are a fearsome weapon. But as their enemies draw nearer, leaving destruction in their wake, will fire and frost be enough to save the world? Or will they lose everything they hold dear?


ebook, 384 pages
Expected publication: April 9th 2019 by HarperTeen
Pre-Order here and here

Eee! I am SO EXCITED about this book :D I very much enjoyed Beyond a Darkened Shore, and I adore Jessica so much, and ahh. This new book by her sounds aaamazing. I need it badly. It is not possible to pre-order this gorgeous book just yet, ack, but hopefully soon :D You all need this gorgeous book as well. Gosh, I cannot wait to read this book. Fingers crossed I will be able to get my hands on the ARC once it comes out, eee. SO excited for this book. And oh gosh. THIS COVER! Ahh! LOVE. It's gorgeous. I love it.
What are you waiting for on this fearsome Wednesday?

Monday, June 25, 2018

Review: Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

There was never any doubt that I would read this new book by Julie Kagawa. I have been a fan of her for years, since reading her first book. I'm a bit behind on reading her newest books, but still a huge fan of her. Because Julie is awesome. So I was super excited about Shadow of the Fox. Also since it sounds awesome.

I had high hopes about loving this book. But oh, I did not. And I shall be honest about my feelings about it. This ended up being a three star for me. I loved the story. Mostly loved the characters too. But I had issues as well, and I will be sharing those too. A bit heartbroken that I did not love this, but still very much love Julie.

I have so many feelings about this book. While I did not love it, I enjoyed it a whole lot. And I found it easy to read, and found the story easy to like. There is a lot of Japanese culture and history which I enjoyed reading about very much. It is also very much a fantasy book, filled with demons and other creatures. Very much enjoyed reading about those. The world this book was set in was interesting too, and I wish to know more about it all. The story of the book is how every thousand years a great dragon will rise, granting a wish to the human having the three scrolls of prayer. The time is almost ready. And everyone is searching for these three scrolls. Many would kill for them. Humans and demons alike. Which makes for an interesting story. And which it was.

This book is mostly told from two point of views. The girl, Yumeko. The boy, Tatsumi. She has grown up among monks, in a remote place. She is also half kitsune. With the power to change into a fox. And is full of tricks too. I loved that about her so very much. But oh, she does not do anything with this for almost the whole book. A little disappointed. Wanted to see more of her powers. She has grown up almost sheltered, and has never left the temple. Until it's attacked. By a great demon, and every monk she knew was killed.

And so Yumeko is forced to flee. With one part of the scrolls needed to make the wish, as the monks had one of the three hidden. While running in the forest, she runs into Tatsumi. And they start on this journey together, though she is lying to him at all times, as she makes him believe she does not have the scroll. And she does not tell him about her being a kitsune either. Sadly, this goes on for the whole book. Ack. I was very much looking forward to all the reveals, haha, and they did not happen in this book. How rude.

But oh. Tatsumi. I do not know how to describe this boy. But I shall try my best. He is a person that has been trained to kill for years now. He has been alone most of the time, never known any kind of kindness. He is simply put a killing machine. Well, killer of demons, mostly. He kills for his clan. He lives for them. Oh, and he has a demon inside his sword, which also means it is inside of his mind a lot of the time too. Complicated. But interesting. And I liked getting to know this boy a whole bunch. Well, most of the time.

Because I sadly did not love Tatsumi. I wish I did, but he was just not that interesting. Half the book is his point of view, but it all felt the same. Him thinking about how cold he is, without emotions. And then slowly starting to feel things for Yumeko. I sadly did not feel anything. Ack. I liked him a lot. And I shipped them so very much. But I did not love either of them. Because they did not do very much. They did not talk very much either. And I badly wanted to know more about them both. Hmph. Still, I liked reading about them.

The biggest reason for why I had issues with this book was the writing. It is told from first person point of view, I believe. And it just felt so awkward. I couldn't connect to either of the characters. And I feel so sad about that. The writing wasn't all bad, thankfully, but I never grew to love it. Ahh. But still. The book was good. Though most of it is just travelling through the forest. And then the action at the end, right before the book ended. I very much need to know what happens next. But wishing more had happened before.

There is still so much that I could share about this book. But I have already written so much, and I'm not going to recap all of the plot, haha. But I will say that this book is about Yumeko and Tatsumi. She has the scroll. He is searching for it. They become travelling friends. And they meet two other men too. It could have been a triangle of sorts. But it was not, thankfully. Also because no romance. What. Rude, haha. But I very much think the romance will only be between the two main characters. Seemed that way, at least.

I was lucky enough to trade for a print ARC of this gorgeous book, and I am so happy about that. I shall treasure it always. And I so cannot wait to get the stunning hardcover of the finished version too, eee. Shadow of the Fox was not perfect, but it was an entertaining read even so. I liked the story. I cared for the characters. And I very much need to know what happens next. But gosh, how I wish there had been romance in this one. Ack. And I wish it had focused a lot more of the kitsune parts. But, it was still good.

Despite my mixed feelings about this book, I still enjoyed it a whole lot. And I am so very excited about reading the next two books. I think they will be awesome, and that I will love them more. Fingers crossed. I wish I could have loved this one, but it just wasn't meant to be. I am very sure, though, that most people are going to love this book to pieces. Eee. And I cannot wait to see what you all think of it when it comes out. You must read it. Shadow of the Fox was a pretty incredible story. I did not love it, but I liked it a lot.


Saturday, June 23, 2018

In My Mailbox #346

Yeah. I had planned on reading lots this week. That did not happen. Haven't read a single thing. Ahh. But I am starting Shadow of the Fox today. I am. I will. I must. I want to read so so badly, but never have the time. Sigh. Always so busy, always so exhausted. I mean, I don't even have time to watch movies. Hmph. Or catch up. Ugh. But I got second dose of the new medicine this week, so I think it should start working more now. Fingers crossed. But oh, mail! I got such stunning mail this week, eee :D Some most gorgeous ARCs that I shall treasure so so much. Sigh. They are all perfect. Because of no reading, and no energy, I only blogged once. Ack. This week I'm waiting on Warrior of the Wild. <3 I also saw Jurassic World 2 at the cinema this week. And I loved it. But ahh, the next one isn't out for another three years? How rude. I want it now. So anyway. This week has been going by so so fast. But it's been good too. Just exhausted and sad that I haven't read at all. Hmph. But hoping for more energy now :) And much more time to read.



A Reaper at the Gates. Hardcover has arrived. Ahh. I need to read these three books soon. Nervous.
Strange New World. I now own both books, ack :D Hoping I will love them. I do adore this author a lot.
Sea Monsters. Eee, new Pip book. I must read the first two ones, though, haha. Will do so very soon :D
Pyromantic. Finally got myself the paperback edition. I loved book one. And must read this sequel soon.
The School for Good and Evil. Ahhh! Thank you so much Daphne :D UK ARC! I am DYING. Love it so.
Onyx & Ivory + Rose Under Fire. Love. Thank you so much Jaime for these two most gorgeous ARCs :D
Sawkill Girls + Pip Bartlett. Oh gosh. I'm pretty much dying. AHH! Thank you so much Xander :D Gosh. You are the best. Ahhh. I am beyond thrilled with these ARCs :D Eee! My Claire collection is complete :D
Pop Figures. Yesss. Jurassic World pops are here :D They are gorgeous. Love. And my Steve pop too :D
Bookmarks. Eee, more HappyHello bookmarks :D Oh, they are all so perfect. Just gorgeous. Love them.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday #349

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

WARRIOR OF THE WILD BY TRICIA LEVENSELLER

Goodreads Description:

How do you kill a god?

As her father's chosen heir, eighteen-year-old Rasmira has trained her whole life to become a warrior and lead her village. But when her coming-of-age trial is sabotaged and she fails the test, her father banishes her to the monster-filled wilderness with an impossible quest: to win back her honour, she must kill the oppressive god who claims tribute from the villages each year or die trying.


Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication: February 26th 2019 by Feiwel & Friends
Pre-Order here and here


Eee, this book sounds all kinds of exciting. I very much like Viking YA books, and this one sounds like it's going to be so good. That cover is pretty awesome too. Gosh, I hope this book will be the best. I simply cannot wait to read it. Wish it was February already. Hmph. Also, hope there will be some romance too :D
What are you waiting for on this wild Wednesday?

Saturday, June 16, 2018

In My Mailbox #345

Another week gone by. So so very fast. I managed to read one book this week, at least, so yay for that :) Though I did spend a whole week without reading anything. Ahh. I hate having so little energy. But soon. I shall get better. The medicine is somewhat working, and I think and hope that with only a few more doses things will start getting better. Fingers crossed. I did not get to blog a lot this week. Only two posts. This week I'm waiting on Beneath the Citadel. <3 And I shared my review of My Plain Jane :D I also got a ton of gorgeous book mail, eee. Lots of ARCs for trade :D I'm so in love with all of them. <3 So so so happy. I still have so little energy, so I'm still forever behind on things, ahh. But will try my best to get things done. Soonish. I also very very much want to re-watch all the Lord of the Rings movies again, the extended editions, always :D Shall do it this coming week, I think. Love those movies so much. Sigh. And shall be reading a lot more too. I must. Have many books that need to be read, haha :) Also, if you are reading this, please do take the time to leave a comment. <3 Would mean so much to me. Almost all my posts these days get zero comments. I mean, I have only gotten four comments in all of June. Ack. I get that people are busy. <3 But, well, I'm still getting the same amount of pageviews, so it's a bit confusing too. Oh, well. I shall always continue blogging, though :) Despite always shitty health, I had a good week. <3



Shadow of the Fox + Sea Witch + Aftermath + The Masked Truth. Eee! Love all of these so so so much :D Thank you the most for trading with me Kelly. <3 SO excited to read Shadow of the Fox shortly :D Eee.
Renegades. Ahh! Love! UK ARC :D My collection is growing so well. Thank you so much Sarah-Jane. <3
Spectacle + Grisha Pins. Eee! Thank you so much Theresa :D I am thrilled with these. So so so much. <3
Our Dark Duet. Yay for the US paperback finally being out. Excited to read the new exclusive scenes in it.
Iron Tide Rising. The gorgeous UK paperback edition :D Must read this final book very soon. I'm nervous.
Onyx & Ivory Swag. Yay! Thank you Mindee :D Stunning swag pack for the Relay group. I love it all. <3
Pop Figures. Eee, my Miraculous Ladybug pop figures finally arrived :D And gosh, they are all so perfect.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Review: My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand & Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows

This book was all kinds of great and fun. Well, maybe not all fun, because it broke my heart a whole lot of times too. Rude. But it was such an amazing story. And I enjoyed it so very much. Ever since reading My Lady Jane, I have so been looking forward to more books by these authors. And I cannot wait for even more.

Giving this one four stars, as I felt there were a few small things that could have been done a little better. But for the most part, I very much enjoyed this book. I loved the characters very much. They were awesome to read about. The ending was incredible too. Only wishing that it had been longer. Wanted to know more.

This book is a story told from three point of views. Jane Eyre and Charlotte Bronte and Alexander Blackwood. And oh gosh, how I loved all three different views. They were all so awesome to read about and I just adored all three to pieces. Though, to be honest, Charlotte and Alexander were my favorites, ack. Jane mostly just hurt my heart, haha. But I did grow to love her. Shall not write too much in this review of mine. Will try my best to share why I loved this story. First I shall mention that I very much enjoyed the writing in this one. It was so great at all times, and things were written really well. This book is a somewhat retelling of Jane Eyre. Which I know nothing about, haha. But it is not needed to know either. This book is a historical ghost story adventure. So good.

This book tells the story of Jane and Charlotte and Alexander. It is also a story filled with ghosts. And I loved that very much. It begins at school, where Jane is a teacher and Charlotte is a student. There has just been a murder. And someone is coming to check the school for ghosts. Which is not good for Jane, because she has been able to see ghosts ever since she was little. She even has a ghost friend, Helen. And I very much liked her. So much happens in this book. I shall not mention most of it. It was so good.

The character I loved the most in this book was Charlotte. She is sixteen years old and she was all kinds of adorable. She loves writing, and is writing down almost everything for a story. I adored that about her. She has horrible eyesight, and wears her spectacles on a wand. Which caused trouble a lot of times. She was the kindest and sweetest person and I just loved her so much. I so so loved getting to know her and reading about what she wanted out of life. She was not scared of speaking her mind. She was the best.

And Alexander. Sigh. I loved this boy so very much. He is the star agent of ghost hunting. And reading about how he does that and such was so interesting. And I just loved reading about his life and getting to know him. There is much to love about Alexander. Like how he is looking for revenge, as his father was murdered when he was four years old. Alexander also has a ghost hunting partner, Branwell. And gosh, he was all kinds of awkward and fun. I liked reading about him a whole bunch. They were both awesome.

Though Charlotte was my favorite, I did love Jane too. Though she was a bit more difficult to love, as I did not like some of her choices. Like how she did not tell Charlotte the most important part of her life. How she did not trust her enough, yet they were supposed to be best friends. And I felt like Jane treated her poorly later on in the book too, and that just broke my heart a little. But she got better, and I'm so happy about that, because it made me care for her more. I very much liked the friendship between these girls.

Jane was so complicated, though. Her story is about how she just took on a job as a governess. And how she falls in love with the master of the house right away. He is twice her age. And is most likely about to be engaged. He is also angry a lot, and not very nice at all. I did not approve of her crush. Hm. But it was written well, and I did like reading about Jane. Just, heartbreak too. Jane deserved a whole lot better. Her story is not a love story, though, and there is no romance for her. Aw. A lot of complicated things, though.

There is so much going on with this story. Secrets about Jane and where she is now living. Getting to know more about Alexander and his work. And all the ghosts. And reading about Charlotte and Alexander maybe having feelings for each other, eee. That was a romance I very much loved. It was small, but was also so stunning. And I shipped them the very most. There is so much I could say about this book, but my mind is going blank. I do not want to spoil anything that happens. I simply very much enjoyed this story.

My Plain Jane was everything I wanted it to be. Full of amazing characters and a stunning ghost story adventure. I had a few small issues with it at times, where I felt like more could have been happening, and that Jane's story should have been more. But my issues were not big. And this book was all kinds of awesome. And I am so glad that I read it. Cannot wait to read the next book by these amazing authors. It shall be so good. If you have not ordered this book, then you very much should. You are going to love it.


Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday #348

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

BENEATH THE CITADEL BY DESTINY SORIA

Goodreads Description:

In the city of Eldra, people are ruled by ancient prophecies. For centuries, the high council has stayed in power by virtue of the prophecies of the elder seers. After the last infallible prophecy came to pass, growing unrest led to murders and an eventual rebellion that raged for more than a decade.
 


In the present day, Cassa, the orphaned daughter of rebels, is determined to fight back against the high council, which governs Eldra from behind the walls of the citadel. Her only allies are no-nonsense Alys, easygoing Evander, and perpetually underestimated Newt, and Cassa struggles to come to terms with the legacy of rebellion her dead parents have left her — and the fear that she may be inadequate to shoulder the burden. But by the time Cassa and her friends uncover the mystery of the final infallible prophecy, it may be too late to save the city — or themselves.


Hardcover, 480 pages
Expected publication: October 9th 2018 by Amulet
Pre-Order here and here

I have seen so many people be excited about this book. And I could not help but feel the same, seeing that gorgeous cover :D And the summary sounds so exciting too. I'm crossing all my fingers that this book will end up being awesome. <3 Wishing to love it. And I think that I will. Cannot wait to read and own it :D
What are you waiting for on this ancient Wednesday?

Saturday, June 9, 2018

In My Mailbox #344

Honestly, where are the days going? Feels like it is always Saturday, haha. Time is moving so fast. This week I got to read a bit at least, so yay for that. But not good books. Ugh. I need to read an amazing one. And so I'm starting My Plain Jane next, which I hope will be perfect. Fingers crossed. I got new medicine on Thursday, and gosh, how I hope it will help, finally. Stomach feels a little better, I think, but not much. Fingers crossed for the next days. Ahh. I need to feel better already. Hmph. I blogged a little this week. <3 I shared my review of Cuckoo Song :) This week I'm waiting on Last of Her Name. <3 I took part in the blog tour for The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik :) Which I also then read and reviewed. This week has gone by fast, yet so incredibly slow too. I'm goddamn tired of being sick and in pain all the time. It sucks. But dealing with it. Probably. Hoping to start reading again tonight :D Or just maybe finally watch some movies. Hmm. Well, re-watch, haha. Also got a bunch of gorgeous mail this week, eee. I'm in love.



Furyborn. Thank you so much Foggy Pine Books :D Loved ordering from them. <3 Stunning hardcover.
Legendary. I now own book one and two, and must read them one day, haha. Looks so gorgeous though.
His Dark Materials. I could not resist buying this new copy of all three books in one. It is just awesome.
Vicious. I had to get this new hardcover edition, eee, I just had to. This cover is simply beautiful. I love it.
Quests for Glory. Eee, paperback edition :D With four chapters of book five. Ahhh. I loved them so much.
Hotel Transylvania. Eee, new books :D Could not resist. So cute. Dying for this third movie this summer.
Furyborn. Yesss. My personalized copy from Books of Wonder :D Thank you so much Claire. <3 Love.
Furyborn. Ahh. Audiobook. Expensive. And I do not like this hard and big version of audios. Ack. So I'm a bit upset about it. Aw. I like those smaller ones that are not made of plastic. Hmm. Still, I do love my copy.
The Adventures of John Blake. Couldn't resist buying the new paperback edition too :D I love Philip so.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Thursday, June 7, 2018

The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik Blog Tour: Review

So excited to be taking part in this awesome international blog tour today :D I'm sharing my review of The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold. It was my first book read by this author, and I do not know much about him. But he seems great. Have you read any of his books yet? Huge thank you to Penguin Random House International for letting me take part in this amazing international blog tour. And for sending me a free copy of the ARC version of the book to read and review. Despite my mixed feelings for this book, I am glad that I gave it a try. And I am sure that so many of you are going to love this book. It was simply not really for me. But that cover is gorgeous. And parts of the book was still pretty great :)


I do not know where to start with this book. When I got invited to take part in the international blog tour for it, I could not help but say yes. Because that cover is all kinds of stunning and I found the summary to be interesting too, even though I do not read a lot of contemporary books. But I wanted to give it a chance. As I have loved a few books from this genre. And so I had hopes for this book. It is breaking my heart a little to say that all those hopes were crushed. As I did not like this one much at all. For so many reasons.

Honestly do not know how to put my thoughts about this book into words. It is a two star read for me. So wish I could say that I loved it, but I very much did not. But I also did not hate it, and I'm happy about that. But oh, I have so many thoughts about this book. Shall try my best to share most of them, without sharing spoilers and still writing down all of my feelings. This book tells the story of Noah and his life. It has some surprises, and some friendships. But mostly it was all kinds of boring and just about nothing happened.

Will begin with my thoughts about the writing. In some ways, the writing was great. But I did not like it one bit. Because of the way Noah was thinking and acting. I did not like it at all. It was a bit annoying and hard to read. Though the book did not take that very long to finish. But it was all a bit too much, I think. Noah is sixteen years old. He is different from just about everyone, of course. He does not drink, he is a virgin by choice, he reads lots of history and things like that, and knows so much. Just. Ugh. A bit too much for me.

I wish I could say that I loved Noah. But I did not. I didn't even like him. But I did enjoy learning his story. I just did not like any parts of it, haha. I felt like he was written to be too much different. And to me, that did not work well. His family was kind of interesting. I liked his little sister, Penny. And their dog. His parents were mostly okay. They were just boring, honestly. Noah is amazing at swimming, and could get a good college. But he does not want to swim. And so he is faking a back injury. Yeah. That was not really okay.

And his whole life is kind of going down hill. He did not seem happy. Despite having two amazing best friends. I loved Alan and Val so much. Well, most of the time. They were such great friends, and I wish there had been more of them. Hmph. Anyway. The plot. First we get to know Noah, then there is a party where he gets really drunk. And follows a strange boy home. Where he gets hypnotized. And when he wakes up the next morning, things are different. His mom has a scar. And other things have changed too.

Just about all of this book is about that. Noah and his life. How things changed after he got hypnotized by this strange boy. How he is trying to deal with it, with so much being wrong, and he being the only one to know that. Then there was his Strange Fascinations too. He is obsessed with four things currently. They take a big part of this book too. Not going to describe any of it, just that it was kind of interesting. I liked reading about the old guy and his life. But oh, so very little happened in this book. Most of it was boring.

And I have already written way too much in my review. Without really sharing what happens at all. Ugh. Because there really was not much going on in this book. I tried to like it. But I did not like Noah. Did not like his way of thinking, his way of living. The plot lasted forever, and nothing happened. I wanted more exciting moments. There isn't even romance. And that was so disappointing too. Felt like it could have at least been a little better if there had been some romance. Hmph. Just, yeah. This book fell short for me.

Then there was this ending. I liked the last fifty pages of this book more than all the other pages. The ending was pretty great. I must admit to having been spoiled about what happened, but I shall not spoil anyone else. It was still shocking and different and I liked it a lot. I thought this would change my rating from two stars to three stars. But then the rest of the ending happened. And I was not pleased with it at all. I wanted someone to get punished. That did not happen. I wanted more, simply put. I'm disappointed.

And so I am giving The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik two stars. This was not a book for me at all. But it was also not the most awful book I have read. Because I was curious from start to finish. I did want to know what would happen next. I just did not like any of it, haha. And I think a whole lot of people might love this one. I'm curious to know what you all think of it. Huge thank you to PRH International for sending me a free copy of this book to read and review for the blog tour. Wish I could have loved it more.




This is Noah Oakman → sixteen, Bowie believer, concise historian, disillusioned swimmer, son, brother, friend.

Then Noah → gets hypnotized.

Now Noah → sees changes: his mother has a scar on her face that wasn’t there before; his old dog, who once walked with a limp, is suddenly lithe; his best friend, a lifelong DC Comics disciple, now rotates in the Marvel universe. Subtle behaviors, bits of history, plans for the future—everything in Noah’s world has been rewritten. Everything except his Strange Fascinations . . .

A stunning surrealist portrait, The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik is a story about all the ways we hurt our friends without knowing it, and all the ways they stick around to save us.




The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik is published by Viking Books for Young Children. 
International ISBN: 9780451480477.


David Arnold lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his (lovely) wife and (boisterous) son. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Kids of Appetite, Mosquitoland, & The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik, which has been optioned for film by Paramount. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages. Learn more at davidarnoldbooks.com and follow him on Twitter @roofbeam and Instagram @iamdavidarnold.

Where to find David Arnold:


Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday #347

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

LAST OF HER NAME BY JESSICA KHOURY

Goodreads Description:

Sixteen years ago, rebellion swept the galaxy known as the Belt of Jewels. Every member of the royal family was murdered--down to their youngest child, Princess Anya--and the Union government rose in its place. But Stacia doesn't think much about politics. She spends her days half-wild, rambling her father's vineyard with her closest friends, Clio and Pol.

That all changes the day a Union ship appears in town, carrying the leader of the Belt himself, the Direktor Eminent. The Direktor claims that Princess Anya is alive, and that Stacia's sleepy village is a den of empire loyalists, intent on hiding her. When Stacia is identified as the lost princess, her provincial home explodes into a nightmare.

Pol smuggles her away to a hidden escape ship in the chaos, leaving Clio in the hands of the Union. With everything she knows threading away into stars, Stacia sets her heart on a single mission. She will find and rescue Clio, even with the whole galaxy on her trail.
 


Hardcover, 400 pages
Expected publication: February 26th 2019 by Scholastic Press
Pre-Order here and here

Yeah, this one is going to be awesome. Eee. There seem to be a bunch of Anastasia YA retellings right now, and I am loving it so much. I also very much adore Jessica and her books. Eee. I think Last of Her Name sounds SO GOOD :D And I cannot wait to read this precious thing. Sigh. Also, so gorgeous. Eee.
What are you waiting for on this royal Wednesday?

Monday, June 4, 2018

Review: Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge

This was such a weird book. And I'm trying my best to figure out how I felt about all of it. Parts of it I liked a whole lot. But so much of it felt a bit silly, and the writing was a bit too much most of the time. But for the most part, I did enjoy this book. And so I give it three stars. It was mostly good, and yet not enough for a re-read.

I wanted to read this book because of that different yet awesome cover. And because the summary sounded great too. It seemed like kind of a dark mystery type of book. And, well, it kind of was. But also not dark enough for me. Also wish there had been more mystery. There is magic. And a bit of faeries. Mostly interesting.

Though I enjoyed this book a lot, I sadly did not love it. A lot of the reason for that is because of the writing. Was just too much, simply said. Too many descriptions that I just barely managed to read. A thirteen year old girl would not have been thinking those descriptive things, especially not this girl who had been stuck in her home for years. And so it was a bit distracting. Even more so because there was no need for it. Did not find it to be written well because of all the descriptions. They were simply annoying, and made me dislike parts of the book. Other than that, the writing was mostly okay. I did like reading from the point of view of Triss. Though I did start liking her less near the end of the book, as I felt like she was getting too soft, if that's even possible, haha.

This book tells the story of thirteen year old Triss. She woke up with no memory of this past day, where she fell into water and ended up getting pretty sick. She is feeling weird after this accident. And she does not know why. There is much going on in this book. With Triss. And her family. Most of it interesting. And getting to know Triss was great too. I liked this girl for the most part. She has been sick a whole lot these past years, and because of that she has not experienced so much. Wish there had been more of all that.

There is so much going on in this book. There is no way I could mention all of it. But I shall write about a little of it. Triss is trying to figure out what is wrong with her. Why is she so hungry all the time. Why does her little sister hate her so very much, and seems scared of her. She want answers, yet she is scared of getting them. And she should be. Because the reasons for why she feels so different are pretty huge. And were so interesting to read about. It's a bit shocking, a little exciting, and a bit too little at the same time.

What bothered me most about all of this was the way she was eating everything. It was mostly just gross to read about. How she ate rotten fruit, how she ate things. It was a bit too much for me, a bit too silly. But the rest of this book was mostly awesome. I was so curious to know more about Triss and her mysterious illness. And her family. Gosh. I cannot with her family. Her little sister, Pen, eleven years old, was so very complicated. At times I hated her, for her choices. But at times I also understood her. So so complicated.

But their parents. I did not like them one bit. They had treated Pen so badly for so many years now. And they had not really treated Triss any better either. Keeping her sick. Keeping her locked up in her house. Away from school, away from friends. It was not good for her and they were not doing it to be kind. It was a bit horrible to read about. I just did not like these parents at all. Hmph. Then there was Violet. I did not grow to love her, sadly, but she was such an interesting character. And I liked her scenes a whole bunch.

I'm not going to say more about this book. Just that there is a lot of magic involved, in weird ways. Most of it were pretty interesting to read about. But I also felt like this book could have been more. More dark, more horrible. I also felt like both girls were way younger than eleven and thirteen. And that bothered me too. Hmm. But I did like reading about them. How they went from hating each other, to slowly start caring about each other. It was written well, most of the time. And I liked getting to know their story and the end.

Despite my mixed feelings about this book, I am glad that I read Cuckoo Song. It was different. I liked parts of it a whole lot. The ending was pretty good too. Mostly happy. I very much liked the time period this book was set in, though I wish there had been more details about all of that. It was good, though. I mostly liked Triss too, and her story was pretty interesting. If you have not read this book yet, I do think you should give it a try. A bit dark, a bit of magic, and the complicated relationship between two sisters.


Saturday, June 2, 2018

In My Mailbox #343

Didn't I just write this post yesterday? Ahh. Time is moving so fast these days. I blame my shitty health. But getting a new medicine next week, and eee, I do have higher hopes that this one will work. Fingers crossed for me. I have not had any time to read, sadly. I read fifty pages two days ago, and will read lots more from the book today. But yeah. No energy, so no time either. But I'm hoping I will start getting better. Sigh. Despite not reading, I did have a few blog posts this week :) I shared the cover for Undying. <3 And this week I'm waiting on Imprison the Sky :D And I shared the cover for A Crystal of Time, eee. <3 All the posts had new covers, haha. And they are all gorgeous. Gosh, I cannot wait to read all those three books. I also got some very lovely mail this week, eee. Lots of stunning books :D Love them all so so much. <3 So yeah. Time moving fast, health even worse, as I now have a cold too. Ugh. But I'm dealing with it all. Probably. Have been doing better at catching up. Still feeling a little sad that I'm getting so few comments on my posts, though, aw. Many posts not getting comments at all. Heartbreak. But I suppose everyone is just busy :) Though I still get the same amount of views, hmph. Hoping I will be able to read lots soon :D



LIFEL1K3. Eee, finished copies :D AUS paperback, US hardcover and Intl paperback. I loved this book.
The School for Good and Evil. Ahh! Special collectors edition paperback :D I had to buy two, haha. Love.
Onyx & Ivory. This took forever to arrive. How rude. But it is here, and it is gorgeous :D Loved this one.
Aftermath. I'm so excited to read this one soonish. Seems great and heartbreaking. Hoping I will love it.
Rebel of the Sands. EEE! Thank you Rachael for this amazing trade :D Love this UK ARC so very much.
City of Bones. Such a tiny paperback, haha :D Couldn't resist buying this new US version. It's awesome.
Plushes. Eee! I found a smaller octopus plush :D So cute. Had to get two colors of it, haha. Love them so.
Pop Figures. This Pennywise pop is all kinds of scary. I love it. More for my Stranger Things collection :)
Onyx & Ivory Swag. EEE! The most awesome pre-order swag :D I love it so. Thank you so much Mindee.
Bookmarks. My first order from Idle Stuff. Heart of Iron and Mal & Alina :D They are so so very adorable.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, June 1, 2018

Cover Reveal: A Crystal of Time by Soman Chainani

Gosh. I am so so so excited for this one :D I love this series beyond words. The School for Good and Evil is the very very best series. Heartbreaking. Fun. And full of adventure. And some cute romance too. Eee. But also beyond evil. Hmph. The ending for book four just about killed me. And having to wait until March next year for this fifth book might murder me for real. Ahhh. It's going to be so so good, though. And eee! This cover! I cannot. They all look so beautiful :D Ahhh. My Agatha is my favorite, always. <3 But do love them all. Sigh. Love the colors. Love that this cover is a bit different from the other four, and a bit different artwork too, even though it's by the same artist. They are all beyond beautiful. Such a huge fan of these covers. Eee. But gosh. This book. A Crystal of Time is going to be perfection. And evil. And I cannot wait to read every page of it. These books just mean so much to me. Sigh. What do you think of this cover? :)


No summary yet. But first chapter can be read here.