This was “created” by Lost in a Story!
The Rules:
Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Lainey from the Top 5 Wednesday Group on Goodreads.
This week’s theme is fictional items, which there are definitely plenty of. I’m going to TRY and stick with items from books but I may wander into the movie or TV realm as well. Most of these books were made into movies too so don’t hold that against me!
5.) Hermes’ Flying Shoes (Percy Jackson & The Olympians)
Flying shoes would definitely help me out in reaching some stuff on the top shelves at the grocery store and not to mention I think Converse are extremely stylish.
4.) Firefly-Class Transport Ship (Firefly & Serenity)
I am a HUGE Firefly fan ok? So if I could just get my own ship and have that crew I’d be golden. Besides….who doesn’t want their own spaceship?
3.) Firebolt Broomstick (Harry Potter)
I think you may begin to see a pattern here, I like things that fly. Sure I could have a wand but really I’d LOVE to have a Firebolt or just any flying broomstick really. But why not have the best and just go with a Firebolt?
2.) Sting (The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings)
Because I NEED to have something from Middle Earth on this list! I didn’t want the One Ring though, that’s just bad news all around. So I’ll settle for Bilbo’s sword Sting, which glows blue when there are Orcs nearby. It’s pretty AND practical.
1.) A Lightsaber (Star Wars)
So I think this list is composed mostly of stuff that lets me fly and swords, all of which are extremely cool. I COULD NOT have this list be complete without a lightsaber on it though! It’s my MOST wanted fictional item, even though I would most definitely injure or maim myself and others if I ever actually got one…….
That wraps up this week’s Top 5 Wednesday!
Are there any items on this list you would want as well? Any that you would want that I didn’t include?
Let me know in the comments! Feel free to leave a link to your Top 5 Wednesday as well!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
This week’s theme is books on your Spring TBR, which is actually a pretty convenient one for me since I don’t actually plan my TBRs out because I’m a mood reader. This way I get to share with you all what books I will be reading, without actually committing to a set reading schedule.
You can also click the titles to go straight to their Goodreads pages!
10.) The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine
I actually pre-ordered this book and STILL haven’t read it, it’s been over two months and I’m slacking. However it is definitely towards the top of my TBR since I am still very much anticipating reading this book. I adore YA fantasy books so there is no good reason as to why I’ve put this off.
9.) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Yes I’m aware this is going to be a movie and no I haven’t seen the trailer because I don’t want spoilers of any kind. I’ve heard GRAND amounts of praise for this book so it was already on my radar but now with an impending movie I HAVE to read this. Movie release dates are a good deadline for me as well but the sooner I read it the better.
8.) After the Woods by Kim Savage
One of my anticipated releases of 2016, plus I love that cover. I still need to purchase this baby but I’m definitely planning on including it in my next book haul. It’s a mystery/thriller and I love myself a good thriller, especially with plot twists.
But mostly……..dat cover.
7.) A Drop of Night by Stefan Bachmann
This book was released today FYI! I’m not too sure what kind of atmosphere this book will have, maybe it’s a horror or maybe it’s just a thriller that delivers on the creepiness. Not sure but I’m HOPING it’s creepy at least since I enjoyed Bachmann’s short story in “Slasher Girls and Monster Boys”.
6.) Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
I’ve been wanting to read this for a while and I happened to get it on my Kindle for $2.99 so I’m just excited that I own it now. It’s an alternate history re-telling of World War II, an era I’ve always been interested in, not to mention there’s a sort of death motorcycle race. Okay, I don’t actually know if it’s a death race but it IS a motorcycle race. Count me in for sure either way.
5.) Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
This book has been on my radar FOREVER and it finally got released! The downside is I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews but also a lot of positive ones. I’m thinking I might just have to buy this one and determine where I stand on it myself. It’s a YA fantasy that blends Western elements with Middle Eastern ones, that just sounds irresistible to me.
4.) Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto
First of all GORGEOUS cover and second of all it’s got some decent reviews. I think it sounds like some sort of super mish-mash of genres and it might be more than a little…weird. Good thing I like weird. Did I mention I love the cover yet? Even if it isn’t that great it will make a fine addition to my shelves!
3.) The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
I actually wasn’t that interested in this book right away, it seemed way too romance-y for my tastes. But when pretty much every single new YA release was getting bad reviews I had to pay very close attention to which ones actually were getting good ones. “The Forbidden Wish” is one of few that have been getting nothing but fabulous ratings, so of course I started paying closer attention and I have now come to the decision that I mus town this book.
It’s an Aladdin retelling with some other very interesting elements, plus once again we have a to-die-for cover. Can’t wait to buy this beautiful thing in my next book haul!
2.) Starflight by Melissa Landers
Once again I was not super excited for this book, it wasn’t something that really grabbed my attention right away. Like I said before when ALL of my anticipated YA books weren’t getting good reviews I had to find the ones that were getting them. “Starflight” was one that had a ton of good ratings, so naturally I nabbed a sample on my Kindle and pretty much fell in love with it right away. I’m a HUGE Firefly fan and it immediately reminded me of it, Solara is almost exactly like Kaylee Frye! I have the rest of the story awaiting my reading leisure on my Kindle now.
1.) The Winner’s Cruse by Marie Rutkoski
I actually never really wanted to read this that much, but with the last book coming out this month and all of the hype I figured I would give it a go. I haven’t seen many good reviews from people with my similar tastes so my expectations are low. I’m currently reading this book which is why I placed it as #1 on this list and I’m 15% in and I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I actually like it. I’ve also heard that the end half of this book plus the sequel are even better, so I’m excited to finish!
That wraps up this week’s Top Ten Tuesday for me!
Are there any books on my list that are on your TBR as well? Have you read (and loved or hated) any of these books?
Let me know in the comments! Also feel free to leave a link to your TTT as well!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
So this week’s theme is 2015 releases I meant to read and then ran out of time, and I think I’ve got more than plenty to choose from. It’s even worse when they’re sitting on my shelves!
10.) Nightfall by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski
This is one of those books I just kind of feel “meh” about, I want to read it because it has a really interesting blurb and seems like it has potential for creepiness. Alas though, I never got around to reading it in 2015. My library has it so when I have time I CAN read it if I want.
9.) A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston
Another 1,001 Nights retelling and since I LOVED “The Wrath and The Dawn” I figured I’d give this one a shot as well but it wasn’t a top priority last year. It’s just something I forgot about…….
8.) Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
I’ve heard so many good things about this book and I got it on sale on my Kindle for $1.99. So I was thinking I did a good job and then…..never read. Shame on me I know! Good news is since I bought it, I will eventually read it.
7.) Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman
A fantasy mixed with historical fiction, it sounded awesome and had mixed reviews though. However, I bought it on my Kindle for $1.99 and for that price, why not give it a try? Once again though I didn’t read it last year……
6.) Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics
I love horror so it’s no surprise I have a burning need to read this book! It has a decent amount of good reviews from reviewers I trust so I needed to get my hands on it. And then…..I never bought it. It’s definitely still on the TBR but I just never got around to reading it.
5.) Dreamstrider by Lindsay Smith
Look at that gorgeous cover! And it’s basically supposed to be a lot like Inception. How does any of that not seem awesome, right? That’s what I thought and bought a copy right away when it came out aaaannnnndddd haven’t read it yet.
4.) Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
This is an alternate history retelling, those are always awesome right? Well I’m not exactly sure anyways I wanted to read this a lot and had it in my Amazon cart multiple times but just never committed. Now I think it’ll have to be time to get a copy and read this awesome sounding book!
3.) The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
I bought a copy right away, right away when it came out! And I still haven’t read it! It’s been almost 3 months! I loved Percy Jackson and couldn’t wait for Riordan to write about NORSE mythology. I’m kicking myself every day because I haven’t read it yet.
2.) An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
I’m very late to the game on this one, it seemed pretty dang popular last year and I really wanted to read it. I loved the cover as well but my library has a copy so I’ll just bide my time and read it eventually……
1.) Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
There’s no excuse for me not reading this! I have a copy, everyone’s read it, and it’s hyped up like nobody’s business! I’ll get around to it one of these days, from what I’ve read I think I’ll breeze throughout. Regardless of the fact that it’s 600 pages.
Have you read any of these books or are they still sitting on your TBRs? Did you love/hate any of them? Let me know in the comments!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!
This week’s theme is bookish resolutions for the new year, so I decided to do books I resolve to read in 2016! Now there are a TON of eligible candidates for this list but I just kind of selected a few I think I actually WILL get around to reading this year.
Also this list won’t contain any of the books that are already on my January TBR since you know…I’m planning on reading them this month. If you want to check that list of books out the click here.
10.) In The Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
I’ve been meaning to read another Cat Winters for a while now and this one seems to be a favorite. I really enjoyed Cat’s other book (not yet released) “The Steep & Thorny Way”, she does such an excellent job at immersing you in the time period. She does historical fiction in a way that I really like, she mixes it with supernatural elements which for me is a huge plus.
9.) The Child Thief by Brom
So I’ve had this on my Kindle for a few months now and I’m sad I haven’t read it yet. It seems to get a lot of love from people and I’m a sucker for Peter Pan AND dark retellings. This has both. So really the only thing that’s holding me back is an already full reading schedule, hopefully this one will get worked into it this year.
8.) Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
I bought this book I don’t know how long ago, it’s been sitting on my shelf forever. It’s advertised as being a YA version of Game of Thrones pretty much, so I’ll have to like it…I think. So since there’s a lack of “Winds of Winter” this year I’ll have to improvise.
7.) The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Nope, I haven’t read any Julie Kagawa. I need to change that. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this series specifically and I’m really looking forward to reading some of this author’s work. Plus I like some good vampire fiction every now and then. I’ve got some high expectations for this book so I’m hoping it delivers.
6.) Magnus Chase & The Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
I don’t think I’m the only one who absolutely WORSHIPS Rick Riordan and his Percy Jackson series. I also really love Norse Mythology (I am Norwegian after all). So reading this book is one of my top priorities this year, I’m sure once I start I’ll just devour it.
5.) Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
I may or may not be the last person on Earth to read this….There was a HUGE amount of hype around this book and everyone seems to love it. Also I don’t have enough sci-fi in my life. The formatting (and cover) for this book is super unique and I can’t wait to finally read it. I refuse to have a 600 page book sit on my shelf unread. It makes me feel really lazy….
4.) An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
I’m late to the show on this book, I really love the cover and wanted to buy my own copy…..
My library has a copy so when I get time to read it I can! I kind of feel like people have mixed feelings on this book but I’m hoping it’ll be worth my time. Especially since the sequel will be coming out this half of 2016.
3.) The Young Elites by Marie Lu
I wasn’t exactly a big fan of Marie Lu’s “Legend” but this seems to be more of a fantasy book and I love fantasy. I have my own copy of this book in the hopes that I’ll enjoy this one, plus “The Rose Society” already came out…..
2.) The Monstrumologist Series 2-4 by Rick Yancey
I’ve already read the first one (review will be up soon) and I definitely need to finish the other 3 books in the series. That is all.
1.) The Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson
Do I even really need to explain this one? I haven’t read Brandon Sanderson before (shame on me) and I’m definitely needing to get my hands on these books specifically.
So this whole post is basically a semi-tiny TBR plan for 2016. I’m really, really hoping I can get to this books but with new books coming out all the time who knows? Plans change and I’m a terrible mood reader….
Have you read any of these books? Are any of them on your 2016 TBR as well? Let me know in the comments!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish! So head on over there to check it out and participate!
This week’s theme is 2016 releases we are most anticipating, well the first half of the year anyways….
I have a LOAD of options for this but alas I must limit it to only ten, also I’ve done a similar post to this you can find here. So even though there are some books in 2016 I’m anticipating MORE, I’ll find new ones for this post so I don’t sound like a broken record.
Here goes!
#10.) Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan
Release Date: January 19th, 2016
Description From Goodreads
Raisa was just a child when she was sold to work as a slave in the kingdom of Qilara. Despite her young age, her father was teaching her to read and write, grooming her to take his place as a Learned One. In Qilara, the Arnathim, like Raisa, are the lowest class, and literacy is a capital offense. What’s more, only the king, prince, tutor, and tutor-in-training are allowed to learn the very highest order language, the language of the gods. So when the tutor-in-training is executed for teaching slaves this sacred language, and Raisa is selected to replace her, Raisa knows any slipup on her part could mean death.
Keeping her secret is hard enough, but the romance that’s been growing between her and Prince Mati isn’t helping matters. Then Raisa is approached by the Resistance—an underground army of slave rebels—to help liberate Arnath slaves. She wants to free her people, but that would mean aiding a war against Mati. As Raisa struggles with what to do, she discovers a secret that the Qilarites have been hiding for centuries—one that, if uncovered, could bring the kingdom to its knees.
Why I’m Excited:
I think you all know by now that I LOVE Fantasy! That also leaves me being quite picky though. I need a cast of characters, unique mythology, and some fantastic world-building if I’m going to love a fantasy book. I’ve seen some positive reviews for this book and I’m hoping it fits my high fantasy standards! So far I’m moderately excited for this one, still pretty unsure on it since that romance sounds like it might annoy me…..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#9.) Into The Dim by Janet B. Taylor
Release Date: March 1st, 2016
Description From Goodreads
When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing.
Why I’m Excited:
Well I think this pretty much sounds like “Outlander” in Young Adult form, and even though I haven’t finished “Outlander” YET it was pretty good from what I did read. Plus there’s time travelers, what’s not to be excited about?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#8.) The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine
Release Date: February 16th, 2016
Description From Goodreads
Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.
In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.
But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.
Why I’m Excited:
That’s one long description isn’t it? Pretty much the whole reason I’m excited is that it sounds like one kickass Snow White retelling. I can’t wait to see how the Huntsman (Kol) will be portrayed, and then you know there’s magic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#7.) Ruined by Amy Tintera
Release Date: May 3rd, 2016
Description From Goodreads
Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.
But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.
In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.
Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.
Why I’m Excited:
This sounds freaking AWESOME. A heroine who’s hellbent on revenge? And she marries the Prince in order to get it? What part of that doesn’t sound awesome I ask you? Like I said I love fantasy, especially betrayal and revenge filled fantasy! Hopefully this one delivers all of that, I’ll be disappointed if she chickens out and doesn’t kill anyone…….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#6.) Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke
Release Date: March 22nd, 2016
Description From Goodreads
Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.
What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.
Why I’m Excited:
What can I say? I love anything creepy, and this book sounds like it would deliver just that. I also really enjoy books with unreliable narrators, I think it really adds to the suspense and also sets the story up for non-stop plot twists. Hopefully this book lives up to these expectations, I read Tucholke’s short story in “Slasher Girls & Monster Boys” and wasn’t really a fan but she also selected all of the stories that went into that book. She had great taste, except her own story I thought fell a bit short. Like I said I hope she proves me wrong and this book ends up being fantastic!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#5.) Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
Release Date: March 8th, 2016
Description of Goodreads
She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.
Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there’s nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can’t wait to escape from.
Destined to wind up “wed or dead,” Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she’d gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan’s army, with a fugitive who’s wanted for treason. And she’d never have predicted she’d fall in love with him…or that he’d help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.
Why I’m Excited:
It’s in a very unique and exciting setting, a desert nation with a very Arabian feel. Plus there’s mythical creatures and magic! Sounds like a very interesting fantasy book, definitely unlike anything I’ve read before. The romance might put me off a little bit but I’m guessing if the world is built well then I won’t mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#4.) Never Ever by Sara Saedi
Release Date: June 21st, 2016
Description From Goodreads
When Wylie encounters Phinn—confident, mature, and devastatingly handsome—at a party the night before her brother goes to juvie, she can’t believe how fast she falls for him. And that’s before he shows her how to fly.
Soon Wylie and her brothers find themselves whisked away to a mysterious tropical island off the coast of New York City where nobody ages beyond seventeen and life is a constant party. Wylie’s in heaven: now her brother won’t go to jail and she can escape her over-scheduled life with all its woes and responsibilities—permanently.
But the deeper Wylie falls for Phinn, the more she begins to discover has been kept from her and her brothers. Somebody on the island has been lying to her, but the truth can’t stay hidden forever.
Why I’m Excited:
Peter Pan is my favorite Disney movie, so yeah I like him. This is a Peter Pan retelling, yes I want to read it. I don’t think it sounds AS good as “Unhooked” however, I’m hoping it’s something that will be worth my time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#3.) Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell
Release Date: February 2nd, 2016
Description From Goodreads
For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer.
But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.
The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.
With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?
Why I’m Excited:
Another Peter Pan retelling…… So I’m pretty damn excited for a darker version of Neverland and a possible love triangle between Gwen, Peter, and Hook. You have NO idea how much I want that love triangle! I love Hook and Peter and having that play out in a book is a dream come true for me, seriously!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#2.) The Imposter Queen by Sarah Fine
Release Date: January 5th, 2016
Description From Goodreads
Sixteen-year-old Elli was a small child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic. Since then, Elli has lived in the temple, surrounded by luxury and tutored by magical priests, as she prepares for the day when the Valtia perishes and the magic finds a new home in her. Elli is destined to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule.
But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.
Disgraced, Elli flees to the outlands, the home of banished criminals—some who would love to see the temple burn with all its priests inside. As she finds her footing in this new world, Elli uncovers devastating new information about the Kupari magic, those who wield it, and the prophecy that foretold her destiny. Torn between the love she has for her people and her growing loyalty to the banished, Elli struggles to understand the true role she was meant to play. But as war looms, she must align with the right side—before the kingdom and its magic are completely destroyed.
Why I’m Excited:
First of all there was no hint at romance in the description, I like that. Her love is torn between two groups of people not two boys, I like that A LOT. Plus it’s got all of your basic magic and fantasy elements, I guarantee I’ll love this one. Plenty of reviewers are RAVING about how excellent this book is and I’m hoping it delivers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#1.) The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye
Release Date: May 17th, 2016
Description From Goodreads
Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.
And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.
Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?
For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.
And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love . . . or be killed himself.
As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear . . . the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.
Why I’m Excited:
I am SUPER excited for this book, I NEED it NOW! There’s Russian culture, magic, and a game that requires the two enchanters kill each other off? Sounds freaking awesome! Also I don’t know what it is but I find Russian culture very fascinating, so adding that into a fantasy world will be great!
That concludes this week’s Top Ten Tuesday! Hopefully you guys found some new books to add to your TBR’s!
Feel free to leave a link to your TTT in the comments below!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
First off I know what you’re thinking, “Heather, you’re late. It’s not even Tuesday anymore.” To that I say, “Better late than never!”
Sorry for the belated post guys! I was trying to finish reading my book yesterday and write the review in between working and sleeping so Top Ten Tuesday didn’t get finished.
This week’s theme is Best Books I’ve Read in 2015, it can be pretty much whatever you want. I’m just going with best books I’ve read this year, period. No limiting to debuts or genre or yada yada.
***Warning I’ll be using SO MANY gifs***
“Alice” by Christina Henry
I don’t think I have to gush about this one anymore to you guys, this book is a perfect blend of horror and an Alice in Wonderland retelling. If you’re a fan of either of those things I highly recommend reading it.
This was one of the best books I read this year simply because it was very different for me. I haven’t read any dark retellings before and this was fantastic, I loved seeing my favorite Wonderland characters humanized and twisted!
“Half a King” by Joe Abercrombie
This is a fantastic YA fantasy book that frankly, I think is underrated. Sure I’ve seen plenty of people read it, but is it enough? Nope, not for me. If you’re a fan of either the Game of Thrones TV show or the A Song of Ice and Fire books, this should be on your TBR.
Being the avid fantasy lover that I am and the ASOIAF series lover that I also am, reading “Half a King” was a no-brainer. It certainly didn’t disappoint either! I loved the morally ambiguous characters and the betrayals and plot twists! It made for a fast paced and excellent read!
“The Girl From The Well” by Rin Chupeco
So the deal with this book is you either think it’s scary or you don’t. I was surprised when I was terrified by it, normally I don’t scare too easy. However, when I was 10 I watched “The Grudge” leaving me with a fear of ghostly Asians. Seriously I’m scarred for life by that movie. Therefore I was terrified of this book.
Reading a YA horror book that succeeded in making me scared of the dark again is really impressive, so that made this book one of the best ones I read this year.
“Hyperbole and a Half” by Allie Brosh
This one was recommended to me by Ariana @ The Quirky Book Nerd and it was a fantastic recommendation! I love laughing and therefore loved this book. I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard while reading something in SUCH a long time.
That being said it definitely made for one of the best books I’ve read this year. Such a light-hearted, hilarious book deserves that honor.
“Slasher Girls & Monster Boys” Stories Selected by April Genevieve Tucholke
This is my first anthology and it was clearly a great pick. I loved almost every story with the exception of a couple duds. Mostly I found myself either intrigued or vastly creeped out. Which is my goal when reading anything in the horror genre. Plus if you can scare me in less than 50 pages you’re doing great.
This book has a great selection of short, horror stories making it one of my top ten favorite reads of 2015.
“Sharp Objects” by Gillian Flynn
I’ve read all of Flynn’s books, but something about this one stuck out from the others. I found the plot to be so much MORE shocking than in her others. The plot twists were definitely doing their jobs, I was so freaked out while reading I didn’t even know what to do except flail myself around.
I’ve read three of Flynn’s books this year but this one really stuck with me the most and I HAD to have one of her books on my list.
“The Knife of Never Letting Go” by Patrick Ness
It makes me sad to think about all the awesome Ness books I’ve been missing out on because I haven’t read him before. Now I must devour every bit of his work.
This one is a book that I wish everyone would read, if I was filthy rich I’d buy you all a copy in the hopes that one day you’ll read it. It’s adventurous and also heart breaking. It’s everything a book should be in my opinion.
“A Darker Shade of Magic” by V.E. Schwab
This book is magical in every single way. The world building is fantastic and the characters even more so. I loved this book so much I can’t even properly describe my feelings on it.
Just trust me when I say it was one of the best I’ve read.
“A Monster Calls” by Patrick Ness
Another fantastic Patrick Ness book, this is a fine example of literary perfection. Seriously. It’s that good.
Words cannot properly describe said perfection either. Just go read it.
“The Wrath & The Dawn” by Renee Ahdieh
I am not a romance fan, this book really swayed me though. It centralizes around the romance I was getting all the warm fuzzy feelings. That in itself is quite the feat for a book so it was an easy decision for me to decide this was one of the best books I’ve read period especially this year.
Seriously I loved this one.
That wraps up this week’s Top Ten Tuesday!
Any books on my list that you read in 2015? Any you read before or that are on your TBR? Let me know in the comments! Feel free to leave a link to your TTT!
Well I didn’t do Top Ten Tuesday last week but this week’s “theme” is something I can actually do! Sometimes I don’t have enough answers to do ten but new to me favorite authors I read this year? I can do that.
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
So feel free to join in the fun!
10.) Renee Ahdieh
This year I read Renee Ahdieh’s debut novel “The Wrath & The Dawn” and let me tell you guys it was amazing. As you all probably know by now I am not a romance fan…at all really and this book is all about that romance. It did a great job of thawing my cold heart, quite the task if you ask me. I’ll be anxiously awaiting the sequel as well as anthing else this fabulous lady writes!
You can check out my review of “The Wrath & The Dawn” here.
____________________________
9.) Rin Chupeco
I’m not easily scared with books or movies these days, exposure to such things when I was younger left me with a high tolerance to scares. But man oh man did Rin Chupeco’s book scare the shit out of me, quite the accomplishment for a horror book! I have the sequel on my bookshelf and I’ll definitely be reading more of her work.
You can check out my review for “The Girl From The Well” here.
___________________________
8.) Marcus Sedgwick
I’ve always heard tons of good things about Sedgwick’s books but also that they’re a little…different. So I was pretty happy when my library had a copy of this book “Midwinterblood” and it was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It’s really too hard to explain but I’m glad I decided to give Sedgwick a try. His writing is truly unique.
You can check out my (insufficient) review for “Midwinterblood” here.
___________________________
7.) Christina Henry
I actually don’t really think I’d be too interested in reading Henry’s other series,Black Wings, but I definitely loved “Alice”. I’ll be waiting impatiently for the sequel for this one though.
You can check out my review of “Alice” here.
__________________________
7.) Laini Taylor
I know what you’re thinking, “You haven’t read Laini Taylor until NOW?”. But hey give me a break! I can’t believe I haven’t gotten around to reading anything by her before myself! Laini definitely has a very unique writing style and her ideas are VERY original. I need to really get my butt in gear and read her Daughter of Smoke and Bone series!
You can check out my review of “Lips Touch: Three Times” here (there’s pictures!).
___________________________
5.) Kendare Blake
Once again I can’t believe how long it took me to discover this author! Kendare Blake is awesome, that’s pretty much all there is to it. “Anna Dressed in Blood” was scary, gory, and hilarious all at the same time! I’ve got to get my hands not only on the sequel but also her Goddess War series.
You can check out my review for “Anna Dressed in Blood” here.
_____________________________
4.) Cat Winters
This is another author I’ve heard TONS of great things about, and yet I haven’t read any of her books! I received “The Steep & Thorny Way” via Netgalley and holy crap was it amazing! Cat Winters has an absolutely beautiful writing style and she blends historical fiction with a little bit of the paranormal so well. I need to get my hands on her other three books NOW.
My review for this ARC will be up either later today or tomorrow!
_____________________________
3.) Joe Abercrombie
Since I’ve finished every available book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series I’ve been looking for another fantasy author that can bat in the same league as George R.R. Martin. As a result I found Joe Abercrombie and his Shattered Sea series! This is his YA series and it’s definitely a must read for any fan of Martin’s. I can’t wait to finish this series and dive into his “adult” fantasy series The First Law.
__________________________
2.) V.E. Schwab
V.E. Schwab is a literary genius, I love her! After reading this I now need to read everything she’s written. I’ve looked up her other books on Goodreads and they all sound super interesting and original. I own “Vicious” and have yet to read it but I’m also really interested in her Archived series. So much Schwab and so little time……..
_____________________________
1.) Patrick Ness
Why haven’t I read Patrick Ness before?! Why?! He’s probably one of the greatest authors I’ve read, his writing is beautiful, emotional, and wonderful! They are utter perfection! I gave both of these books a full 5 stars! I can’t wait to finish the Chaos Walking series and see what else Mr. Ness has in store for me.
You can check out my reviews for both “A Monster Calls” here and “The Knife of Never Letting Go” here.
That wraps up this weeks TTT, hope you guys liked it!
Are there any authors on my list that you read for the first time this year as well? Feel free to link your TTT in the comments too!
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
This week’s theme is books on my fall TBR, which there’s always a ton on my TBR. Now some of these books are ones that I’m planning on buying and reading, others I already own.
So first, books I own and have yet to read (that are towards the top at least):
10.) You by Caroline Kepnes
This one hasn’t been sitting around for too long, and I’m pretty excited to read it. So it’s in my top 10 to get at this fall. But until then it’ll be sitting by my night stand…waiting.
9.) Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick
I’m actually about half way through this already….but I got distracted by other books. So I’m looking to finish this one up soon.
8.) The Girl From The Well by Rin Chupeco
I just bought this one even though I’ve read mixed reviews about it. It still looks like something I might enjoy reading so I bought it anyways! I’m waiting to read “The Girl From The Well” a little closer to Halloween though.
And now books that are either newly released or soon to be released:
7.) The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
The minute I discovered this book I knew I wanted to read it.
Here’s the description:
Over two decades have passed since the fire at Elmbridge High, an inferno that took the lives of three teenagers. Not much was known about the events leading up to the tragedy – only that one student, Carly Johnson, vanished without a trace…
…until a diary is found hidden in the ruins.
But the diary, badly scorched, does not belong to Carly Johnson. It belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, a girl who shouldn’t exist Who was Kaitlyn? Why did she come out only at night? What is her connection to Carly?
The case has been reopened. Police records are being reexamined: psychiatric reports, video footage, text messages, e-mails. And the diary.
The diary that paints a much more sinister version of events than was ever made publicly known…
Sounds pretty awesome right? Once again I’m going to save it for around Halloween hoping that it’s at least a little scary.
6.) The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy
This one was released fairly recently, I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. Apparently it has a really dark and creepy atmosphere to it. So I’m hoping to pick it up soon.
5.) Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
This book is going to be released next week (on my birthday) and I’ve heard mixed reviews of it. It’s a thriller and I think it sounds interesting enough for me to give it a shot.
4.) Alice by Christina Henry
A retelling of “Alice in Wonderland” obviously, and apparently a very grim, dark, and graphic one. I’m really excited to get my hands on this book, I’ve heard a TON of good things about it. There is one drawback for me though, it’s been mentioned that there is some really graphic, disturbing content such as rape. I don’t think that’s enough to keep me from reading it though.
3.) The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
This one was released today and I’m just waiting to buy it (because I’m lazy). It sounds so cool and I’ve had this on another one of my mini lists. Check it out here.
2.) The Traitor Baru Cormorant
Once again this one’s been on here before, check it out on my “Most Anticipated Reads for September”.
1.) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
If any of you have been on my blog before then you KNOW how excited I am for “Six of Crows”. IneeditIneeditIneeditIneedit.
Are there any books on YOUR fall TBR that we have in common? Are any of you guys as excited as I am for any of these books?
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
It’s freebie week, and I was looking for ideas and all I kept seeing were books I’d recommend for _______ and so on. So I’ve decided to do the top ten books I DON’T recommend. Now it doesn’t necessarily mean I HATED the book or anything, I just wouldn’t go around recommending them to people. Instead of 10 I only have 8, which is good right? It means I haven’t read that many books I dislike. Granted some are grouped into the series as a whole but that’s not the point is it?
8.) The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
Do I even need to explain why this is on here? Let me say this: I remotely enjoyed them while I was reading them in the 9th grade. THEN I realized how bad they actually were. I, like a sheep following the flock, was suckered into reading the ENTIRE series just because everyone else did. Is this series really that bad? No. Are there TONS of other books that are so much better? Yes. “Twilight” suffered from a serious case of the “over hype”.
7.) The (Entire) House of Night Series by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
These are all the ones I read, 1-9. How I managed to read 9 of these remains a mystery to me. Our MC spends the whole series getting with EVERY, SINGLE GUY. I’m serious. Every single one. She will sit there and flirt and wheedle her way into the hearts of all male characters, it is the single most annoying thing about this series. It is very clear that this series came out during “The Great Vampire Fad”. You get all the awfulness of that PLUS high school drama. Yay! (said no one, except me…sarcastically). If you want to read an AWESOME vampire series that deals with the high school aspect then please refer yourselves to Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series. It’s great. I recommend that series highly…not this one.
6.) Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer
“Cinder” is actually, probably the best book on this list (which is saying something). I can honestly say I enjoyed it more than these others, but I still had major issues with it. You can check out my full review of Cinder here for an idea of why I wouldn’t recommend.
5.) City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare
So many people LOVE this series and the hype (to me) couldn’t have been more wrong. I’d recommend going and reading “Twilight” before I’d recommend this one. If you want my FULL thoughts on this book you can check out my review here and then you’ll definitely understand why it belongs on this list.
4.) Fallen (Fallen #1) by Lauren Kate
NOOOOOOOOOOO. I haven’t even heard of anyone liking this book. Don’t read it! This is one of the worst PNRs out there, I’m certain. Lucinda (the MC) spends the entire book being gaga over Daniel (the douche love interest), and all he does is act like a dick to her and she STILL stalks the crap out of him! Take a hint girl and leave him alone! I forced myself to to finish this thing, the characters were all two dimensional. I could have gone and drawn a stick figure on a piece of paper and it would have more personality than these guys. Instead of me recommending this book to anyone, I’m going to recommend you go onto Goodreads and read all of the reviews.
3.) Spider’s Bite (Elemental Assassin #1) by Jennifer Estep
No, this is book is just….no. The description for this book sounds amazing, and I read the whole sample and it was amazing, but the book was…not amazing. It was actually really boring, and Gin (the MC) is not as funny, hot, or badass as she thinks she is. I expected to love this book but I hated it, even though it promises something unique it really is your basic run of the mill PNR. And I’m not really a fan of romance so that may explain why I disliked it. Point is, not a book that I would recommend…at all.
2.) Bliss by Lauren Myracle
This book is fucked up, it’s weird as hell, and nothing about it was enjoyable. That is a basic summary of “Bliss”, it is seriously messed up. I bought and read it years ago thinking I was going to be reading a good YA horror book, and man….was I wrong. All it was, was gross and not scary. There’s the whole “don’t pick on unpopular kids because they’ll commune with the dark side and fuck you up” thing going on, plus the whole “high school mean girls” thing. It was an annoying book, don’t waste your time with this one like I did.
1.) Night World, No. 1 (Night World #1-3) by L.J. Smith
“Night World No. 1” is composed of three short novels in one book, and they all drug on with the intensity of watching grass grow. In other words they were tedious and uninteresting. There was a lot of insta-love going on, and I found all the characters to be dull and undeveloped. I even read this when I was a preteen (which is definitely the target audience) and I STILL didn’t enjoy it. I’m fairly convinced that every other vampire/PNR related book out there is better than this one, including the others on this list. I wouldn’t recommend reading this book even if it was your only company on a desert island.
That’s my (belated) Top Ten Tuesday, are there any books you agree/disagree with me on? Let me know! I’d love to hear from you guys.
thesassygeek.wordpress.com 