Non-Fiction TBR

 

 

Hello everyone!
Now if you read my 2018 reading goals, you’d know I said I wasn’t making TBRs anymore but that was just monthly TBRs, as I never stick to them as I’m a huge mood reader. However, I never read outside of my comfort zone so I am hoping to change that, that was another of my goals. I did a post on the Classics I want to read, now to go even more out of my comfort zone and go for Non-Fiction!
I very rarely read Non-Fiction and it’s not because I don’t like it, it’s just I never tend to pick it up and it also takes me so much longer to read. So I am making an effort to read it more since there are actually quite a few I want to read.

These are in no particular order:

First up is Shockaholic by Carrie Fisher, if you know me then you know I a huge Star Wars fan. (I’m completely obsessed) Carrie Fisher is a huge idol of mine, I’ve read three of her books so far, I’m trying to get to all her books particularly her memoirs. She is SO funny, her books make me laugh so much. I just bought this so I am hoping to get to Shockaholic ASAP!

 

 

The next book I’d like to read is Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge.
I’ve been meaning to pick this up for a while, it sounds like a really important read. I hear a lot about race issues in the US but hardly anything about the UK so I’m really interested in this topic!

                              

The next book on this list is Daemon Voices by Philip Pullman. This is another most likely book I’ll read from this list soon since I already own it. I won this in a twitter giveaway in December and haven’t got around to reading it yet! I really need to pick this up.
I love Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy so I’m really interested in his essays on storytelling. 

 

And of course, I had to include a feminist book Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard. I don’t know a lot about this but I’ve heard really great things about many of Mary Beard’s books.

Last but not least I would like to read Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.
I feel like everyone has read this? I’ve heard non-stop great things about this, I need to see what the fuss is about.
I really love history so I am excited to get around this!

 

 

 

 

That’s it for my Non-Fiction TBR. Let me know if you’ve read any of these books and what you think. Also, let me know what non-fiction books you want to read!

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*Update – Since writing this post, a few weeks ago, I have actually read Shockaholic by Carrie Fisher and I’ve started Daemon Voices by Philip Pullman!

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Review: Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell (Spoiler Free)

Synopsis:
The third book in the page-turning SPELLSLINGER fantasy series.

‘I was getting almost as good at running away from enemies as I was at making them in the first place. Turns out, I wasn’t running nearly fast enough.’

Kellen has begun to master his spellslinging and the Argosi tricks for staying alive, and he and Reichis have found a career that suits them both: taking down mercenary mages who make people’s lives miserable. But Ferius is concerned that Kellen is courting disaster . . .

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Charmcaster is the third book in the Spellslinger series by Sebastien De Castell, review for the first one here.  

This book series has magic, mages, a magic-school and it’s set in a deserty-kinda-Western world. (At least it gives me Western vibes)

I’m going to make this review pretty short, as it is the third book in the series and I don’t want to spoil anything.

Plot:
This one started off slower than the rest, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing and I still really enjoyed this book. I still really wanted to keep reading and couldn’t put the book down once I got into it.  The characters for me really make this book, they are just amazing, likeable and relatable, the plot could be literally anything and I would adore it.
Some familiar faces appear in this novel, which I really enjoyed and I was pretty shocked by! The plot twists are amazingly done, as with the previous two books.
Charmcaster had so many feels, I wasn’t expecting it to be so emotional. This one hit me right in the feels. The ending left me really emotional over certain characters…

Characters:
Kellen: I LOVE HIM. Bless him. He’s so relatable, nothing goes his way and someone is always out to get him. His character development throughout these books is just wonderful to see. He’s really starting to grow up and it’s so sweet to see him develop throughout this book and make decisions for himself. I cannot wait to see where his journey goes in the next 3 books, I’m sure they’re going to be amazing as well!

Ferius: Ferius is an actual babe. I love this woman. Her sass, her personality she’s just AMAZING. Ferius and Kellen have the best friendship and they care so much about each other. All I can say is the FEELS, man, the feels.

Reichis: Still as angry and sassy as ever. God, I love him, he’s so funny. I want a squirrel-cat companion. Cannot wait to see more of him in the next book!

There is going to be six books in this series! I’m so hyped, there’s two being released a year so not much waiting time for new books. I highly recommend picking up this series, Sebastien De Castell has created such a fun, imaginative and addictive series. It has become one of my all-time favourites.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Charmcaster is out tomorrow, May 17th!

* HUGE Thank you to Hot Key Books for sending this to me for an honest review!
ALL opinion our my own.

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Review: Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Synopsis:
Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfieldmovie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

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Plot: Super corny, cutesy and slightly cringy contemporary.
From the description, it sounded like I’d absolutely love this book. However, I am disappointed, it didn’t live up to my expectations.
I mean it has so many points I can relate to:

• Geeky girl main character
• Fandoms
• Bloggers
• A cute dog
• Geek conventions
• Girl friendships
• Loss of parents

The actual plot fell kind of flat for me. The first half of the book I was quite bored/ didn’t really care much. However, the second half was so much better that’s when I really started to enjoy the book. It was a fast read, so I’m glad about that.
And texting strangers? Not exactly a great messaged to send to teens…
I don’t whether I’ve outgrown YA cliché romances but it’s just too unrealistic/cringy/cutesy for me.

Characters:
Elle: I liked Elle. I liked her friendship with Sage, that was super nice to read! I like that she was geeky and ran her own blog about ‘Starfield’, it was relatable.
Darien: Really not keen on Darien. I didn’t find him ‘swoon-worthy’, in fact, I found him God damn annoying. He wasn’t so bad when he texted Elle and he did slightly improve by the end of the book. I found his chapters to be pretty boring, especially whilst he was on set. Also, how many times is it mentioned he has INSURED ABS. Ugh. So cringe-worthy.

Rating: 3 Stars

*I received this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review

 

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Thoughts On A Court of Frost and Starlight

So, since everyone ACOTAR fan, book-blogger will be reviewing ACOFAS I thought I would mix it up and instead just state a few thoughts rather than a full review. (As I’m sure you’re sick of them)

So let’s get on with my thoughts!

1) NOT ENOUGH AZRIEL
Why is there never enough Az?! I love him, I would’ve loved a chapter from his perspective for once. I always feel his character takes the back seat, I wish we could know more!

2) Rhysand just wants sex??
I was really looking forward to reading from Rhys’ perspective but he just thought about having sex with Feyre for the most part. I was kind of disappointed by his perspective, I really love Rhys, he’s one of my favourite characters but on the whole, he wasn’t as good as I hoped.

3) Oh my god, not another Feyre chapter!
After 3 whole books from Feyre’s perspective, it’s safe to say I’ve had enough of her.
Every time I got to another Feyre chapter I just rolled my eyes, she’s also kind of gone downhill?? She seems really pathetic in this book.

4) Nesta is the actual WORST person ever.
I have absolutely no idea how anyone likes or defends Nesta. I have hated her since ACOTAR and nothing she has done has redeemed her. She’s so unnecessarily bitchy and horrible. Terrible sister and overall shit person. I could write a whole post on hating Nesta…
I’m super anti-Nessian but this book really made me despise that ship.
Which brings me on to my next thought…

5) CASSIAN DESERVES BETTER
I hate with a passion that everyone ships Cassian with Nesta, he’s so sweet and lovely.
He deserves someone so much better. I know SJM is going to make Nessian canon but I will forever hate it with every fibre of my being.
On the brighter side… Cassian saying Amren looked like an angry snowball was hilarious.

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Just to let you guys know, I am NOT hating on ACOFAS, I did enjoy it for the most part but it definitely wasn’t my favourite in the series. I look forward to the next book and reading from the others’ perspectives. (DYING Azriel to be a POV in the next one…)
Review on my GoodReads

Overall, I gave ACOFAS 3.5 Stars.

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May the 4th be with you: Star Wars Book Tag!

 

Happy Star Wars Day!
In honour of May the 4th, I thought I would do a Star Wars Book Tag! I decided to make up my own questions/prompts, as the other Star Wars book tags I found I wasn’t keen on the questions/prompts.

LEIA ORGANA
“Someone has to save our skins!” – Favourite strong female character
I mean, if this was any other tag I would pick Leia but since she is the prompt I’ll pick someone else… I’ll go with Sarene from Elantris by Brandon Sanderson, having recently reread this book, it made me remember what a strong female lead Sarene is!

 

 

LUKE SKYWALKER
“Never. I’ll never turn to the Dark Side. You have failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.” – A character who is wholly good
It’s hard to find a character who is well and truly good, but I think Ned Stark from A Game of Thrones comes pretty damn close.

 

 HAN SOLO
“You know, sometimes I amaze even myself.” – A cocky but lovable character
Rhysand from A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas.
He is so cocky but who can blame him? He’s amazing.

 

DARTH VADER
“There’s still good in him” – Name a villain who was redeemed
Mrs Coulter from the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman. She was kind of redeemed/ did something good in the end. She was a complete b*tch in the beginning.

 

CHEWBACCA
“Laugh it up, fuzzball” Han & Chewie –  Best friendship
Blue + The Raven Boys from Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle.

 

R2-D2
“Bleep bleep boop” – Lovable sidekick
Reichis from the Spellingslinger series by Sebastien De Castell. Reichis is a squirrel cat who I never would’ve thought I’d like but I adore this character, he is hilarious!

 

C-3PO
“I am C3P0, protocol droid, human-cyborg relations. I am fluent in over 6 million forms of communication.” – A Multilingual Character
Karou from the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor. She speaks many languages, I’m not sure how many in total but it’s a fair few!

 

May the 4th be with you!

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April Wrap Up!

April has been an amazing reading month for me! I had the first two weeks off for Easter and so I read like a maniac! By halfway through the month I had read 5 books! However, things slowed down after I went back to college. All in all, I had a great reading month! So, since I read so many books I had to change the layout of my wrap up a bit, as I didn’t want the post to seem like an endless list, so I hope you guys don’t mind the change.

The first books I finished in April was Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi. This book was really good! I enjoyed much more than the first one.
Full review here.
Rating: 4 Stars

 

 

 

I planned on having a break between the Shatter Me books, but that didn’t work out, after finishing Unravel Me I just had to pick up Ignite Me! Which I ended up reading in one 4-hour sitting, it’s safe to say I was hooked.
Full review here.

Rating: 4 Stars

 

 

The next book I finished was How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
I enjoyed some of it, some parts I found quite boring and I’m quite disappointed I heard such great things about this book I was expecting to love it. The book didn’t have much of a plot, I had an issue with the pacing and the flipping back and forth between past and present.
Rating: 3 Stars

 

 

 

The next book I read in April was *The Electrical Venus by Julie Mayhew
Review here

Rating: 3/3.5 Stars

 

 

 

The next book I finished was Genesis by Brendan Reichs, I got this as an eARC from NetGalley, I knew I had to read it, I really enjoyed the first book Nemesis last year.
 Review here.
Rating: 4 Stars

 

 

 

The next book I read was another eARC from NetGalley:
The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green.
Review here
Rating: 4 Stars

 

 

The next book I finished was Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. This was a reread for me, I am actually surprised at how much of the plot I had forgotten. I had such a great time rereading this, I loved every moment.
Review here.
Rating: 5 Stars!

 

Then I finished was Geekerella by Ashley Poston.
The weather is getting warmer, therefore it is time to bring out the contemporary books!
Rating: 3 Stars
Review coming soon!

 

 

 

 

And finally, the last book I finished in the month of April was Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell
Rating: 4 Stars
Review coming soon!

 

 

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Review: The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

Synopsis:
A princess, a traitor, a soldier, a hunter and a thief. Five teenagers with the fate of the world in their hands. Five nations destined for conflict.

In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a loveless political marriage arranged by her brutal and ambitious father. In Calidor, downtrodden servant March seeks revenge on the prince who betrayed his people. In Pitoria, feckless Edyon steals cheap baubles for cheaper thrills as he drifts from town to town. And in the barren northern territories, thirteen-year-old Tash is running for her life as she plays bait for the gruff demon hunter Gravell.

As alliances shift and shatter, and old certainties are overturned, our four heroes find their past lives transformed and their futures inextricably linked by the unpredictable tides of magic and war. Who will rise and who will fall? And who will claim the ultimate prize?

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This was the first book I’ve ever read by Sally Green, I really need to remedy that! After reading this I will definitely be picking up her other books.

Plot: This has been compared to Game of Thrones, I can kind of see the similarities. This book is high fantasy, has political intrigue, there are royalty, Lords and commoners etc.
The POVs are also spread out geographically, it is set out kind of like A Song of Ice and Fire/ GoT. However, since this is YA, it is a lot tamer and there’s no sex, graphic violence or sexual assault/rape. Trigger warning for drugs maybe? The demon smoke is essentially a drug.

This book was a quick read for me, I found it really easy to read but also super interesting. I really enjoyed most of the character’s perspectives(More about each character below) It is a really great set up for the rest of the series, I will definitely be carrying on with the rest of the books.
I’m always quite sceptical with YA fantasy, they’re usually really cliché, full of badly done tropes and sometimes just plain cringe-worthy, however, this book really impressed me. The fault I can find in this book is that (basically) everyone is matched up… It didn’t bother me too much, I just don’t understand why authors think everyone character needs a love interest. Like I said, it isn’t too bad but it’s still there. There is a hint to an LGBT romance (M/M).

Characters:
Tash: I love Tash! Her perspective was one of the most interesting, as she is a demon hunter. She was sold as a child to a demon hunter, Gravell, because she’s an unusually fast runner. She’s the youngest being only 13. She’s feisty, sassy and will take on anyone.
Catherine: Catherine is a Princess, she’s hugely oppressed, being a woman. She’s in love with her guard but betrothed to a Prince from another Kingdom for a political alliance.  Catherine was another of my favourite perspectives to read from, I like her story arc and she seems like such a good person. I look forward to seeing where her character goes!
Ambrose: Wasn’t hugely keen on Ambrose, he wasn’t bad but I don’t really think he was needed. He’s a decent guy but his perspective wasn’t my favourite to read from.
March: He was my least favourite perspective. I didn’t really connect with him nor did I really like him as a person. That being said, he did have good character development and was more likeable towards the end.
Edyon: He is so funny, his perspective was very fun to read. He’s mischievous, a thief and liar, but I cannot help but really like him.

Overall: A really good first book for a series, I look forward to continuing. Sad I have to wait for the next one! I love the cover of this book, I may have to invest in a physical copy…

Rating: 4 Stars
The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green is out May 3rd

*I received this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review

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