Cinder (Non-Spoiler Review)

Cinder  by Marissa Meyer

Published by   Square Fish in 2013

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Pages: 448

Format: Audibook

Source: Rented

2019 challenge:Beat the Backlist Challenge

Buy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

I would give this book 5 for a review.

Summary!!!

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 

With high-stakes action and a smart, resourceful heroine, Cinder is a Cinderella retelling that is at once classic and strikingly original.

My Thoughts:

I really loved re-reading this book. I forgot how strong this book was. I loved this story so much and how it took nods from the old tale but made it so unique and so different. I really loved this world and Marrissa was able to craft such a unique world. It was such a fast pace read. I was just so invested in this stories and the all the characters. I loved this story so much and felt like it was a solid story and so excited to dive back into more books in this series.

WinterWood (Arc Review)

 WinterWood by Shea Ernshaw

Published by Simon Pulse on November 5, 2019

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery

Pages: 336

Format: Arc

Source: BEA

2019 challenge:

Buy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

I would give this book 4 for a review.

Summary!!!

From New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep comes a haunting romance perfect for fans of Practical Magic, where dark fairy tales and enchanted folklore collide after a boy, believed to be missing, emerges from the magical woods—and falls in love with the witch determined to unravel his secrets.

Be careful of the dark, dark wood…

Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.

Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing.

But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.

For as long as there have been fairy tales, we have been warned to fear what lies within the dark, dark woods and in Winterwood, New York Times bestselling author Shea Ernshaw, shows us why.

My Thoughts:

I really did enjoy the setting and the way the world for this story was built. I thought the duel POV characters and right way the story was told was super compelling and really liked the different point of views of both characters. I also found the “spell book element” to be super interesting and I really liked how it expanded the world. I was not as blew away by the mystery in this book, I thought it was easier to predict then her previous novel, but i adored the world and the setting of the wood. I also just liked the winter setting in general. The highlight of this book was the setting and the characters.

Spin the Dawn (Non-Spoiler Review)!!

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

Published by  Knopf Books for Young Readers on July 9, 2019

Genres: Young Adult, fantasy

Pages: 397

Format: Hardback

Source: Owl Crate

2019 challenge:

Buy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

I would give this book 4 for a review.

Summary!!!

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job. Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.  And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined. Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.

My Thoughts:

I really did enjoy this read I loved the various aspects of this read including the competition and also the adventure that took place in the second half of the novel. I really was captured by the plot. I also really liked the Mulan inspired elements throughout the novel. I also really enjoyed the tailor competition and found it to be super compelling and the overall plot really captured me. I will admit the romance did grow on me throughout the novel. I wish the the secondary characters were featured a tad more and wish more characters were focused on throughout the novel. I really am excited for book 2!

Top 15 books I got From Book Expo!!!

I had an amazing time at book expo and took home so many great books form this conventions. I was able to check most books of my list and really loved the experience of getting them. I have featured all these titles on my insta. I really loved my experience and hope all these books become some of my favorites in the future.

I chat about these books in the video below!

Top Books Of the con!!

  1. Serpent and Dove
  2. Project Middle School
  3. Race to the sun
  4. A Heart so Fierce and Broken
  5. Tarnish the stars
  6. Wicked as you wish
  7. Cursed
  8. 10 blind dates
  9. Rise
  10. Beautiful
  11. The grace year
  12. Rage
  13. Tiger Queen
  14. The Map from here to there
  15. The Beast

Let me know what are some books in the comments you are most excited to see my thoughts on!

later book lovers!!

Love and Gelato (Non-Spoiler Review)

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Unknown

Published by Simon Pulse on May 3, 2016

Genres: Young Adult, contemporary

Pages: 417

Format: Hardback

Source: Personally bought

2019 challenge: Beat the backlist challenge

Buy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

I would give this book 4.5 for a review.

Summary!!!

A summer in Italy turns into a road trip across Tuscany in this sweeping debut novel filled with romance, mystery, and adventure.Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.But then Lina is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything Lina knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. I really adored the setting of this book so much and that is mostly because i am dying to visit Italy. I had previously and read love and luck and new the ending of this book was no shock but I really loved getting to the end of this novel. I really love the use of the journal and how that created two timelines. I also really loved the elements of grief in this story and how it was handled. I really flew through this book and the subtle mystery was a nice thing that kept me reading. I hope to read more by this author in the future.

First Line Friday: Call It what you want!!

So I was lucky enough to get early copy of Call it What you want!! I want to tease not only the summary of this book but also the first line of it!!

Cover Reveal!!

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First Line Friday!!

“I eat breakfast with my father every mourning. Well I eat. He sits in a wheelchair and stars in whichever direction my mom has pointed I’m. I’f I am lucky, all his droll stays in his mouth. If he is lucky, the sunlight doesn’t fall across his eyes.”

Summary!!

When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship . . .In her compulsively readable storytelling, Brigid Kemmerer pens another captivating, heartfelt novel that asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?

Book Information!!

  • Hardcover: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury YA (June 25, 2019)

Author Information!!

Brigid Kemmerer is the author of dark, contemporary Young Adult romances like MORE THAN WE CAN TELL and LETTERS TO THE LOST (Bloomsbury), as well as paranormal YA novels like THE ELEMENTAL SERIES and THICKER THAN WATER (Kensington). Her next book will be her first foray into YA Fantasy, with A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY, available January 2019 wherever books are sold. Brigid lives in the Baltimore area with her husband and four sons.

Let me know if this book is on your summer TBR!!

Later book lovers!!

You owe me a murder (arc) Non-Spoiler Review

You Owe Me A Murder by Eileen Cook

Unknown

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on March 5, 2019

Genres: Young Adult, Thriller

Pages: 373

Format: ARC

Source: NYCC

2019 challenge:

Buy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

I would give this book 4.5 for a review.

Summary!!!

Seventeen-year-old Kim gets more than she bargained for when she is set up for murder. Perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying, E. Lockhart, and Gillian Flynn.
17-year-old Kim never expected to plot a murder. But that was before her boyfriend dumped her for another girl. Now, Kim’s stuck on a class trip to London with him and his new soulmate and she can’t help wishing he was a little bit dead, even if she’d never really do that.But when Kim meets Nicki, a stranger on the plane who’s more than willing to listen to Kim’s woes, things start to look up. Nicki’s got a great sense of humor, and when she jokes about swapping murders, Kim plays along—that is, until Kim’s ex-boyfriend mysteriously dies. Blackmailed by Nicki to fulfill her end of the deal, Kim will have to commit a murder or take the fall for one.

My Thoughts:

I was really impressed with this book. I was not the biggest fan of with malice, but this book was actually a super gripping mystery that kept me turning the page. I really enjoyed the concept of this book and also the setting of london. I also like the romantic sub plot and also the main character was super compelling to read from. I thought the character was super interesting to read from and was hard to put the book down. This book ending was a bit openish but overall i really enjoyed this read.

The devouring grey ( arc review) (non-spoiler review)!!!

The Devouring Grey by Christine Lynn Herman

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Published by Disney-Hyperion on April 2, 2019

Genres: Young Adult, fantasy,

Pages: 368

Format: arc

Source: NYCC

2018 challenge:

Buy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

I would give this book 4.75 for a review.

Summary!!!

Branches and stones, daggers and bones,
They locked the Beast away.

After the death of her sister, seventeen-year-old Violet Saunders finds herself dragged to Four Paths, New York. Violet may be a newcomer, but she soon learns her mother isn’t: They belong to one of the revered founding families of the town, where stone bells hang above every doorway and danger lurks in the depths of the woods.

Justin Hawthorne’s bloodline has protected Four Paths for generations from the Gray-a lifeless dimension that imprisons a brutal monster. After Justin fails to inherit his family’s powers, his mother is determined to keep this humiliation a secret. But Justin can’t let go of the future he was promised and the town he swore to protect.

Ever since Harper Carlisle lost her hand to an accident that left her stranded in the Gray for days, she has vowed revenge on the person who abandoned her: Justin Hawthorne. There are ripples of dissent in Four Paths, and Harper seizes an opportunity to take down the Hawthornes and change her destiny-to what extent, even she doesn’t yet know.

The Gray is growing stronger every day, and its victims are piling up. When Violet accidentally unleashes the monster, all three must band together with the other Founders to unearth the dark truths behind their families’ abilities… before the Gray devours them all.

 

My Thoughts:

This book was such a atmospheric read. I thought it was the prefect mix between stranger things and also darkest minds. I really enjoyed how we got into so many different characters heads and how romance was really not the focus of this novel. It did had hints of romance but it was not the focus. I really enjoyed the world building and the dynamics between the characters! I think the world building was the highlight of the novel. I def will be checking out book 2! I know this book comes out in april, but I think it would be the prefect fall read!

My Extended Thoughts:

World Building: This book was such a engaging read and reading during a con, I kept coming back to it. It was such a engaging read. I was super compelling and I really found the world to be so well done. It def had elements off strangers things but def was unique enough to keep me turning the pages.

Lack oRomance: I def want romance in future books but the low key hints of romance in this book worked super well. I really thought it worked well and I actually liked it. I def became invested in all the characters this way. I am curious to see where this book goes!

Characters: I really did like all the characters and loved all the various POV that we did get, I really loved them all. I thought the “normal” roles was tuned so on its head and I really loved that. I also like the hints of diversity as well. It was easy to like these characters.

Plot: I really did like the slow burn plot and even though the ending could have been less rushed. I found it to be another book highlight!

later book lovers!!

 

 

 

Readathon VLOG!!

So this is flashback post 🙂 But at the start of the year, I did a mini readathon to end 2018 and start 2019!.

I was able to finish one total book during this mini readathon and had a rather successful first week of the year!!

Let me know how your reading has been in 2019 so far!

later book lovers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January books I want to read!!

So I am going to start this feature every month! Here are the top five (new books) I want to be able to read this month, that come out this month!

  1. The Me I am meant to be by Sophie Jordan:

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Summary: Girl Code: Never date a friend’s ex. Willa Evans has no intention of breaking the code. So what if she’s always secretly loved her next-door neighbor Zach? As her best friend’s boyfriend, he was always off-limits and it needs to stay that way, even though they just broke up. Even though every time she turns around he’s there, tempting her…
No keeping secrets from your bestieFlor Hidalgo has a lot on her plate: her breakup with Zach, her dad’s new dating life, and her struggling grades. So why can’t she stop thinking about her hot, know-it-all tutor? At least she’s got Willa, her constant in the chaos.Breaking the code breaks friendships.

2. Girl King by Mini Yu:

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Summary: Two sisters become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor in this richly imagined, Asian-inspired fantasy for fans of Renée Ahdieh and Sabaa Tahir.Sisters Lu and Min have always known their places as the princesses of the Empire of the First Flame: assertive Lu will be named her father’s heir and become the dynasty’s first female ruler, while timid Min will lead a quiet life in Lu’s shadow. Until their father names their male cousin Set his heir instead, sending ripples through the realm and throwing both girls’ lives into utter chaos. Determined to reclaim her birthright, Lu has no choice but to go on the run, leaving Min to face the volatile court alone. Lu soon crosses paths with Nokhai, the lone, unlikely survivor of the Ashina, a clan of nomadic wolf shapeshifters. Nok never learned to shift–or to trust the empire that killed his family–but working with the princess might be the only way to unlock his true power. As Lu and Nok form a shaky alliance, Min’s own hidden power awakens, a forbidden, deadly magic that could secure Set’s reign . . . or allow her to claim the throne herself. But there can only be one emperor, and the sisters’ greatest enemy could very well turn out to be each other. This sweeping fantasy set against a world of buried ancient magic and political intrigue weaves an unforgettable story of ambition, betrayal, and sacrifice.

3. Song of the dead by Sarah Green Marsh

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Summary:  Karthia is nothing like it used to be. The kingdom’s borders are open for the first time in nearly three hundred years, and raising the dead has been outlawed. Odessa is determined to explore the world beyond Karthia’s waters, hoping to heal a heart broken in more ways than she can count. But with Meredy joining the ocean voyage, vanquishing her sorrow will be a difficult task. Despite the daily reminder of the history they share, Odessa and Meredy are fascinated when their journey takes them to a land where the Dead rule the night and dragons roam the streets. Odessa can’t help being mesmerized by the new magic–and by the girl at her side. But just as she and Meredy are beginning to explore the new world, a terrifying development in Karthia summons them home at once. Growing political unrest on top of threats from foreign invaders means Odessa and Meredy are thrust back into the lives they tried to leave behind while specters from their past haunt their tenuous relationship. Gathering a force big enough to ward off enemies seems impossible, until one of Queen Valoria’s mages creates a weapon that could make them invincible. As danger continues to mount inside the palace, Odessa fears that without the Dead, even the greatest invention won’t be enough to save their fates. In this enthralling, heartrending sequel to Reign of the Fallen, Odessa faces the fight of her life as the boundaries between the Dead and the living are challenged in a way more gruesome than ever before.

4. Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Sky

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Summary: Sora can move as silently as a ghost and hurl throwing stars with lethal accuracy. Her gemina, Daemon, can win any physical fight blindfolded and with an arm tied around his back. They are apprentice warriors of the Society of Taigas—marked by the gods to be trained in magic and the fighting arts to protect the kingdom of Kichona. As their graduation approaches, Sora and Daemon look forward to proving themselves worthy of belonging in the elite group—but in a kingdom free of violence since the Blood Rift Rebellion many years ago, it’s been difficult to make their mark.So when Sora and Daemon encounter a strange camp of mysterious soldiers while on a standard scouting mission, they decide the only thing to do to help their kingdom is to infiltrate the group. Taking this risk will change Sora’s life forever—and lead her on a mission of deception that may fool everyone she’s ever loved.

5. The vanishing Stair:

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Summary: The Truly Devious case—an unsolved kidnapping and triple murder that rocked Bellingham Academy in 1936—has consumed Stevie for years. It’s the very reason she came to the academy. But then her classmate was murdered, and her parents quickly pull her out of school. For her safety, they say. She must move past this obsession with crimeStevie’s willing to do anything to get back to Ellingham, be back with her friends, and solve the Truly Devious case. Even if it means making a deal with the despicable Senator Edward King. And when Stevie finally returns, she also returns to David: the guy she kissed, and the guy who lied about his identity—Edward King’s son. But larger issues are at play. Where did the murderer hide? What’s the meaning of the riddle Albert Ellingham left behind? And what, exactly, is at stake in the Truly Devious affair? The Ellingham case isn’t just a piece of history—it’s a live wire into the present.

Let me know in the comments if any of these books are on your on your buying list this month!

later book lovers!

 
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