Tuesday 31 March 2015

Ten Books I Recently Added To My To-Be-Read List



Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme run by The Broke and the Bookish. This weeks topic is: Ten Books You Recently Added To Your To-Be-Read List.


Any week I take part in Top Ten Tuesday or Waiting on Wednesday, I end up adding lots of new releases to my TBR list, but I wanted to give some love to the older releases as well! With my list this week, I tried to go with a mix of new releases, and older books I want to read.


Untamed by A.G. Howard Reawakened by Colleen Houck Hunger by Michael Grant

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan Soundless by Richelle Mead

- Untamed by A.G. Howard -- Do I need to explain why I need this book? Ok, ok… MORPHEUS!!

- Reawakened by Colleen Houck -- A nod to Egyptian mythology?? NEED!

- Hunger by Michael Grant -- I really enjoyed Gone, and I can’t wait to continue on with the series.

- Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan -- It reminds me of Across the Universe… I loved that book, so I’m really curious about this one.

- Soundless by Richelle Mead -- Chinese folklore + Richelle Mead? Yep, I need it! I know I haven’t read Vampire Academy yet… but details, details!!


City of Fae by Pippa DaCosta The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken The Eternal City by Paula Morris

A Whole New World: A Twisted Tale by Liz Braswell Spelled by Betsy Schow

- City of Fae by Pippa DaCosta -- I got an eARC of this one from Netgalley, and I hope to read it soon! The Fae in London?? So much YES!

- The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken -- I’m so curious about this one! I can’t believe I haven’t read it yet… AND I hadn’t added it to my TBR list on Goodreads?! What the heck! How did I overlook it for so long?!

- The Eternal City by Paula Morris -- It is set in Italy, and ancient statues start coming to life and it sounds like all hell will break loose. I NEED IT!

- A Whole New World: A Twisted Tale by Liz Braswell -- There isn’t a cover yet, but I don’t care! I NEED THIS BOOK!! An Aladdin retelling with Jafar getting the magic lamp?? I don’t think I need to say anything else…

- Spelled by Betsy Schow -- Ooh lookie! Another retelling! *Cough* I’m not addicted! I promise…


What do you think of my list? (Or, my addiction to mythology and fairy-tales? I hope it doesn't turn into a serious problem...) What books have you added to your TBR recently?




Monday 30 March 2015

Review: Elsker by S.T. Bende


Elsker by S.T. Bende book cover

Title: Elsker
Author: S.T. Bende
Series: The Elsker Saga, #1
Format: Kindle, owned
My rating: 3 / 5

Add to Goodreads


Kristia Tostenson prefers Earl Grey to Grey Goose and book clubs to nightclubs. But when she transfers from her one-stoplight Oregon town to Cardiff University in Wales, she falls in love with Ull Myhr. Her new boyfriend isn’t exactly what she was expecting. His cashmere sweaters and old world charm mask a warrior who's spent an eternity fighting for his very existence. Ull is an honest-to-goodness Norse god — an immortal assassin fated to die at Ragnarok, the battle destined to destroy Asgard and Earth. On top of being marked for death, Asgardian law prohibits Ull from tying his fate to a mortal. No matter what she feels for Ull, Kristia knows she's the one thing he can never have.

With Ragnarok on the horizon and a lunatic haunting her dreams, Kristia has to find a way to convince Ull that breaking the rules is the only way to survive; that defying the order he's sworn to uphold is their only chance to be together. And when someone starts asking the wrong questions, Kristia realizes the crazy visions she's had all her life might be the key to saving their realms... even if they end up costing her her life.

-- As seen on Goodreads


My Thoughts


I love all kinds of mythology, but Norse mythology is a personal favourite of mine, and when I discovered Elsker, I knew I’d have to read it! I expected to be geeking out on all things Norse right from the beginning, so I was a little surprised that most of the mythology aspect happened later on in the book. I did like the way the Ragnarok myth was eventually interlinked into our modern world setting, but personally, I was hoping for more mythology, Godly skirmishes, and Norse myths coming to life.


The majority of the story focuses around Kristia and Ull, and their budding relationship. I really liked Kristia, and she quickly became my favourite character. I loved her attitude right from the start of the book, and I felt a connection to her narrative style straight away. She’s a little dorky, but very relatable and completely down to earth. I loved that she won’t back down, or be brow beaten by Ull. It was fantastic to see her stick to her guns, retain her self-respect and self-worth, and not be overly influenced by the Norse God in the corner.


Right now, I’m not too sure what to make of Ull. First impressions are so important, and I found it hard to get past what a douche he was at the beginning. He definitely does have his moments of niceness, and shows he can be sweet, caring, considerate and the perfect gentleman. But… he has a Jeb-like stubbornness that I personally find maddening! I understand that he doesn’t want Kristia to die at Ragnarok, and that’s certainly commendable, but let her make up her own mind! Find the middle ground and compromise, people!!


While I enjoyed the overall story, I feel like the build-up throughout the book lead to nothing. I was expecting something to happen… more about Asgard, or maybe a few skirmishes to show that Ragnarok is really and truly nigh. The next book in the series is built up excellently, but I feel the ending was a bit abrupt and a little disappointing. I plan on continuing on with the series, and I really hope that there will be a stronger Fantasy feel to the next one, without relying so much on the romance plot.




Sunday 29 March 2015

March 2015 Wrap-Up



I’m linking up to both Stacking the Shelves and The Sunday Post memes this weekend.


Re-Cap

I’ve been just a teeny tiny little bit distracted this month. I took an unplanned week off blogging, read next to nothing, wrote only three reviews, and booked flights to WALT DISNEY WORLD! YES, its official, we're going back!! I’m sooooo excited, and I can’t WAIT! The second half of April will probably end up being a ghost town on the blog… so I’m giving you fair warning! I do plan on scheduling lots of posts over the next couple of weeks, but… DISNEY! How can you not be distracted by Disney?! I have all my fingers and toes crossed that the weather will be nice! Disney really SUCKS when it rains. And I really want to visit the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival and eat ALL THE FOOD! I’ve never been to a festival in Epcot before, so hopefully it’ll be awesome!


What I Read

I FAILED! This month has been terrible on the reading front. So far, I've read a grand total of… 4 books. Yep. It was one of those months! I think it's time I accepted I'll barely manage to read 50 books this year!

My favourite was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. And nope, this wasn’t a reread! For those that don’t know, I began reading Harry Potter for the first time last Autumn, and I’m slowly working my way through the books. I’m VERY tempted to plough straight into the rest of the series… but ARC’s! Need to focus on the ARC’s.


Books I Bought This Week

My Daylight Monsters by Sarah Dalton Possess by Sarah Dalton


For Review via NetGalley

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

ASDFJKL;!! I don’t have the words to describe how much I want to read this book RIGHT NOW!


On the Blog in March

Reviews

Mini-Reviews: The Dead Girls’ Dance, Where the Road Takes Me, and Love In Spanish

Review: Dreamfire by Kit Alloway

Review: Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh


Other posts

Burn, Rewrite or Reread

My Top 10 All-Time Favourite Books

6 Books to be Released in April 2015 I Can’t Wait to Read

Favourite Books From My Childhood


What have you been up to this month? Does anyone have any tips on reading quicker?! I really need all the help and advice I can get!


Have an amazing week, and Happy Reading!


Saturday 28 March 2015

Burn, Rewrite or Reread



Mel over at The Daily Prophecy did this challenge last week, and she tagged anyone who would like to take part. I love the idea, so I wanted to give it a shot! It started out as a tag on Youtube between BookTubers, but us folk with blogs can join in the fun as well, right?!

And now, for the challenge! You can choose to do as many rounds as you like: I’ve chosen to do 4 rounds. Each round consists of three randomly chosen books that you’ve read. The impossible hard part is to state which out of those three books you’d reread, which one you’d rewrite, and which one you’d burn!

Sounds easy, right? (ETA after I did the challenge: It’s NOT! It’s really hard!!)

I randomly pulled 12 books off my bookshelves, and Piglet and Tigger are being my lovely bookends.

(For future reference: Soft toys make terrible bookends.)

And a piece of paper was sacrificed to randomly choose which book is pitted against the other. Now, please sit comfortably and watch my poor mind and emotions self-destruct. This could get ugly, folks!


Round 1


Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas Ink by Amanda Sun Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi


Burn: Ink by Amanda Sun. I really liked Ink when I read it. But, with the two books it’s up against, there isn’t much of a contest. It’s sacrificed for the greater good. :(

Rewrite: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. Umm… I might add an extra word or two here or there? That would be classed as rewriting… right? Maybe I’d encourage Celaena to torment Dorian a bit more… that could be fun!

Reread: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi. I loved Roar, Aria and Perry in this book! I remember thinking after I completed the series that Through the Ever Night was the best middle book in a trilogy I’ve ever read… and I DEFINTIELY want to reread it ASAP! (And I want to reread Throne of Glass, too!! Just for the record!)



Round 2


Unhinged by A.G. Howard Nevermore by Kelly Creagh 
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

WHAT!? I LOVE ALL THREE OF THESE! Where’s the judge… I DEMAND A RECOUNT!! What part of hell did this challenge originate in!?

*5 minutes of glaring at the three books later*

Seriously, you want me to choose between 3 of my all-time favourite books?! AND 3 of my favourite book-boyfriends?!?! Morpheus, Varen AND Peeta… ALL IN THE ONE CHALLENGE!? Yep. This challenge definitely originated in hell. It’s official.

*5 more minutes of dread later*

This SUCKS!

Ok, ok! *Deep breaths* I can do this! Technically, I want to reread all three. I WILL reread all three… but I have to choose one. How in the world could I BURN one of these books! GAHHH! This is HARD!


Rewrite: Unhinged by A.G. Howard. Ooh, ooh! My deepest apologies to everyone on Team Jeb... but! I have a BRILLIANT idea! I’d take a lovely red editing pen, and REMOVE Jeb out of the entire series!! Mwahahahaha! AND I’d increase the scenes Morpheus appears in ten-fold! He’d be on every single page in all his moth-ly glory… Humm… this challenge does have its perks after all! I really approve of this idea… *cackles*

Reread: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. It’s my favourite book from the trilogy… and it’s my favourite movie of the three currently released… so I have to choose Catching Fire as my reread.

Burn: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh. THIS SUCK! I definitely DO NOT want to burn this book under ANY circumstances… but I have to choose it for this option. I’m SO not happy about this! *Sobs uncontrollably* I’m so, so, so sorry Varen!



Round 3


Splintered by A.G. Howard Angelfall by Susan Ee Beautiful Distaster by Jamie McGuire

Burn: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. Well, the burn part was easy for this round. NEXT!

But, bloody hell… what are you trying to do to me! Angelfall or Splintered… Umm…

Rewrite: Splintered by A.G. Howard. See what I said about Unhinged in round 2! If Jeb was removed from the series, I don’t think I’d be able to choose between these two books.

Reread: Angelfall by Susan Ee. I always choose Angelfall for every ‘favourites’ list I write, so it isn’t too surprising I’ll choose it here. This is easily my favourite angel book of all-time, and I haven’t managed to find another book to beat it. The Unearthly series was close… but Angelfall still wins for all-round awesome!



Round 4


Divergent by Veronica Roth Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder 
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

You know, I’m convinced there is someone in hell laughing their little arse off right now.

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE BETWEEN THESE THREE BOOKS?!


Burn: Divergent by Veronica Roth. Yeah. If I’d chosen Insurgent for the challenge I’d have had a zillion reasons why I’d like to burn it, but I really liked Divergent! I don’t want to burn it! *Sigh* One had to be chosen, and I preferred the other two books over this one… :(

Rewrite: Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Maybe add in another twenty pages? That would be classed as rewriting…

Reread: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. I LOVED this book! I loved everything about it, and Yelena and Valek were simply perfection.



Good grief, I need a lie down after that! I’m leaving this an open tag, and if you like the idea, GO DO IT! It’ll be terribly torturous on your emotions, (trust me!) but it’s lots of fun in the end :D


But, if I could force a few people to join in … I’d love to see Tracy @ Cornerfolds, Cait @ Paperfury, Val @ The Innocent Smiley, Zareena @ The Slanted Bookshelf and Emma @ Emma’s Bookery do this tag :P No pressure, though!




Friday 27 March 2015

Book Expo America: Have You Gone? - F&F


Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host has their own Feature Blog, and the goal is to increase blog followers and to make new friends. If you want to take part, answer the question posted, add your post to the linky, follow the hosts and the featured blogs, and hop from blog to blog leaving a comment to say hello, and follow, follow, follow!


This Weeks Question:


Have you ever been to BEA?

If not, what’s stopping you? If you have, what was your best experience there?

– Suggested by The Paperback Princess.

Ahhh, Book Expo America! The Disney World for book bloggers! To answer the main question… No, unfortunately I haven’t been to BEA.

Why I haven’t been? I’m literally on a different continent! I’m from Ireland, and it can be quite a trek to get to the States – not to mention that international flights are expensive! I’d love to go one year, but it would have to be combined with another event, like a holiday or something along those lines. But… it would probably be best to schedule it at the end of a holiday. Overweight baggage is expensive and a pain in the rear – believe me, I’ve learned the hard way! I usually buy some books when I’m on holidays anyway… so I could only imagine how bad I’d be if I was unleashed in BEA!

When I began blogging last year, I remember seeing AMAZING book haul pictures in the immediate aftermath, but the part that stuck in my mind since then was all the bloggers that have known each other online for years, and finally getting to meet in person at BEA! I think this is so awesome! (We totally need a rest of the world version, purely for those amazing moments!)

Have you been to BEA? If you have, what were your best moments?


Thursday 26 March 2015

Review: Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh


Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh book cover

Title: Enshadowed
Author: Kelly Creagh
Series: Nevermore, #2
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 3 / 5

Add to Goodreads


True love takes a twisted turn in the second book of this modern Gothic romance trilogy channeling the dark brilliance of Edgar Allan Poe.

While Varen remains a prisoner in a perilous dream world where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life, Isobel travels to Baltimore to confront the dark figure known throughout the world as the Poe Toaster. This man, the same man who once appeared to Isobel in her dreams and abandoned her in Varen’s nightmare world, holds the key to saving Varen.

But when Isobel discovers a way to return to this dream world, she finds herself swept up in a realm that not only holds remnants of Edgar Allan Poe’s presence, but has also now taken on the characteristics of Varen’s innermost self. It is a dark world of fear, terror, and anger.

When Isobel once more encounters Varen, she finds him changed. And now Isobel must face a new adversary—one who also happens to be her greatest love.

-- As seen on Goodreads


My Thoughts


Oh boy... I have mixed feelings about Enshadowed. On the surface, it’s a fabulous book … but it doesn’t hold a candle to Nevermore, and this is where my problems lie. Nevermore was one of my favourite books that I read in 2014 – I adored it, and I still do. Granted, lots of the things I loved in Nevermore showed up here, but it was the things that were missing that proved the most frustrating. As I love Nevermore so much, I’m probably going to be harsher on Enshadowed than I should be, and it completely sucks! My expectations were SO HIGH, I’m gutted that I didn’t completely love this book.


As I mentioned above, quite a lot of what I loved about Nevermore is still present. I’m completely in love with Kelly Creagh’s writing style, and it’s easily my favourite part of this book. The imagery she creates just hits you out of the blue, and I kept stopping reading to admire and take in just how unique and beautiful it is. Now, I understand these types of descriptive books don’t suit everyone, but for me, her writing is sheer perfection, and it’s exactly what I hope to find when I read beautifully detailed books. I also love the atmosphere Creagh creates. Atmosphere wise, Nevermore was one of the best books I’ve read. Enshadowed didn’t quite live up to it, but it’s still above so many other books I’ve read lately.


So, you’re probably wondering what my biggest issue with Enshadowed was. Well… NOTHING happened for over 300 pages! It isn’t a short book: my paperback copy is 429 pages long. It frustrates me SO MUCH that the first 300 pages read like a really long recap of Nevermore! We do get a few new details thrown in, but for the most part, it feels like we’re still stuck within Nevermore. I love that book to death, but the point of a sequel is to experience a new story, and for things to progress! I felt it took far too long for Enshadowed to step out of Nevermore’s shadow, and become its own story. It bothers me even more when the last 100 pages are sheer EPICNESS! The ending is exactly what I hoped Enshadowed would be, but I can’t overlook that I feel it took too long to get to the point.


My favourite part of Nevermore was Varen and Isobel. I loved their story, and how their relationship grew over the course of the entire book, rather than everything taking place within 25 pages. Whenever I think ‘slow-burn relationship’, Varen and Isobel instantly come to mind. The banter, the narking, the dialogue and the eventual friendship that grew between them was simply perfection, and it’s easily one of the best slow-burn romances I’ve ever read. I didn’t realise just how important this was to the overall story until I read Enshadowed. Varen isn’t present in this book, and Isobel is haunted by the dream world he unlocked. The dream world and reality are very closely linked throughout the book, and I while I think it was excellently done, the problem I have was that the characters personalities I loved in Nevermore seemed to disappear! I connected completely with both of them back then, and I kept craving to see them back to their best. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, and with Varen's absense and Isobel a shell of her former self, I'm left feeling so disappointed.


I fear this review has turned into one giant reminiscing session about Nevermore! I think the bar was set so high, it’s next to impossible for Enshadowed to even come close to matching it. Oblivion is set to be released this summer… and I REALLY hope it isn’t pushed back again. Right now, I hope I’ll look back on Enshadowed and realise it was just suffering from middle-book syndrome. I hope with all my heart that the last book will be epic – Varen and Isobel have become two very special characters to me, and I hope that their story gets an epic conclusion.





Wednesday 25 March 2015

WoW #45: Soundless by Richelle Mead



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


This week, I'm waiting on...


Soundless


by Richelle Mead


  Soundless
by Richelle Mead book cover


Expected publication: November 17th 2015

Genres: Fantasy; Young Adult


Add to Goodreads


From Richelle Mead, the #1 internationally bestselling author of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, comes a breathtaking new fantasy steeped in Chinese folklore.

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever...


Look at this cover! Ohh my gosh, I LOVE it so much! And the synopsis sounds fabulous, too. Everything about it sounds so good. I love mythology and folklore, and I love that Chinese folklore is the focus here. We see Greek and Roman mythology so often, it’s awesome to see a change. Plus, it’s a standalone! How rare have these been lately?! It feels like every book turns into a trilogy at the very least. I really, really hope Soundless turns out to be amazing!


What do you think of Soundless? Any new releases you can't wait to read??



Tuesday 24 March 2015

Favourite Books From My Childhood



Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme run by The Broke and the Bookish. This weeks topic is: Top 10 Books From My Childhood (Or teen years) That I Would Love To Revisit.


I read so many library books when I was a kid! Unfortunately, I don’t remember the titles anymore - I get a vague idea of a story or a character, but that’s about it. Some have stayed with me over the years, and others I loved so much that my mum bought me a copy all for myself! I still have the vast majority of the books she bought for me back then, but looking back on it, I don't think she realised what she was getting herself in for... bless her!

I’m not too sure what is meant by 'revisit' with this weeks topic. I love so many books from my childhood, but I don't think I'd go so far as to reread many of them now... the memories I have are so special, I don't want to ruin them! I’ve put a little spin on the topic, and chose my favourite books or series from my childhood that I still love thinking about today.


Roald Dahl


The BFG

Matilda

Fantastic Mr Fox

I own all three of these books, but I wasn’t able to find them to take pictures of. If I had to choose a favourite from the three, it would be Fantastic Mr Fox! I reread it about a zillion times, and the front cover was falling off the last time I saw it. Oh how I abused my poor books back then!


Nancy Drew (Carolyn Keene)
and
The Hardy Boys (Franklin W. Dixon)


I LOVED these books! I have dozens of books from each series, safely boxed away in the attic. I think this was where my love of mystery books began. They were so easy to read, and a lot of fun.


The Babysitters Club (Ann M. Martin)


I was obsessed with the BSC books when I was around 10-ish! My library had so many of these, and I built up a mini-collection over the years, too.


Enid Blyton


I don't own any of her books, but I remember reading quite a few of her Secret Seven books. I loved them so much!


The Mystery Club Series (Fiona Kelly)



I LOVED the Mystery Club series when I was 12/13! I don’t own a complete set (unfortunately), but you can see from the pictures just how many times I’ve read them!



Animorphs Series (K. A. Applegate)


Animorphs Series

As you can see, I had just a teeny tiny obsession with the Animorphs series! I almost own a full set... maybe one day I’ll manage to complete it *fingers crossed*. Rachel and Tobias were my ultimate OTP before I knew OTPing was a thing! This series made me fall in love with Sci-Fi, and I wish I’d kept up reading more books like them in my late-teen years. Out of all the books I've chosen for this list, the Animorphs series would be the ones I'd reread in a heart beat. I highly recommend them!


Have you read any of these books?? What did you think of them?

Happy Reading!




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