What I’ve Been Reading | #FridayReads

 

 

Last Read: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Thoughts: Worst book I’ve ever read. I hate every page of it and I don’t know how I managed to finish it. I kept telling myself it would get better, it did *slightly* improve but not enough to be considered a good book. I have no idea what other people see in this book, I honestly cannot find a good thing to say about it.
I want to read of all the Bronte’s novels, I started with Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and I absolutely loved it! (Review here) I am so disappointed in Wuthering Heights that I think I’ll put off reading anymore Bronte for a while.

 

Currently Reading: The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
Thoughts:  This is a collection of short stories, set before the main Witcher series (which I haven’t read yet) and so far it’s going well. The world is interesting and intriguing, I’m definitely excited to learn more. The main character, Geralt, seems like a pretty cool, badass guy. So far it’s a quick and easy read, I’m around 100 pages in so far but those have gone by pretty quickly. Will I finish this before June ends? Hopefully, it’s only 280 pages.

Make sure to check out my wrap up to see whether I can get this done!

 

Next Read:  I was sent Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik to review, so I’m definitely picking that up next. It will most likely be July when I get to this, it comes out July 12th so I need to read and review before then!

 

 

Have a great weekend! 🙂

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Books I Want to Read Before the End of the Year | Top 5 Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!
Since I plan on posting a lot over the summer, I realised I’d run out of blog post ideas pretty quickly.  So I decided I’m going to start doing Top 5 Wednesdays. I don’t know if I will do them every single week but I’ll be doing whenever I like the topic!
*Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme, GoodReads group here with all the topics!

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1) Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Until recently (literally days ago), I didn’t own this book but wanted (desperately) to read it. I had been on the lookout for the UK hardback for ages and couldn’t get ahold of it. Luckily, someone on twitter didn’t want their copy and so we did a trade.
Finally, I can now read Strange the Dreamer! I will be picking this up asap in anticipation of Muse of Nightmares, I love Laini Taylor’s writing and previous series so I have no doubts that I’ll love this too.

 

2) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This is on my list of classics to get to this year, I really want to read this over the summer. I have no idea if it actually is summery but I’m saying it is!
I also really want to watch the BBC miniseries, so I need to read this asap so I can binge watch that afterwards!

 

3) The Hobbit by J.R.R TolkienUnpopular opinion:  I think Tolkien is overrated. I’ve read the first two Lord of the Rings books and honestly can’t see what the fuss is about. I found them to be pretty boring so I’ve been putting off reading The Hobbit. I found this gorgeous edition, which did make me want to read it more but I’m still worried I’m not going to like it.

4) Obsidio by Amie Kaufman + Jay Kristoff

Obsidio was one of my most anticipated releases for 2018, why haven’t I read it yet? I have no idea. But now I feel like I should reread the first two, as I read them ages ago before I start this one and I’ve been putting it off. Sigh.

 

5) Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

Another anticipated release, that hasn’t actually been released yet and I can guarantee as soon as I get my hands on this I will be reading it. I am dying to know how this series ends, it’s going to be a big book too, so I’ll be disappearing for a week when this comes out.

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Review: Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne | Sci-Fi Jane Eyre Retelling!?

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Stella Ainsley wants just one thing: to go somewhere—anywhere—else. Her home is a floundering spaceship that offers few prospects, having been orbiting an ice-encased Earth for two hundred years. When a private ship hires her as a governess, Stella jumps at the chance. The captain of the Rochester, nineteen-year-old Hugo Fairfax, is notorious throughout the fleet for being a moody recluse and a drunk. But with Stella he’s kind.

But the Rochester harbours secrets: Stella is certain someone is trying to kill Hugo, and the more she discovers, the more questions she has about his role in a conspiracy threatening the fleet.

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Plot:
As it is a Jane Eyre retelling, the story follows the same basic storyline as Jane Eyre, except it’s set in space!
The story and romance are cute, fun and cheesy in the best way! I really enjoyed every moment of this book. I read the entire book in one day, (around 8 hours incl breaks etc) I was hooked and literally could not put it down!
I don’t believe it is necessary to have read Jane Eyre before this, if you do know the story then it will be ‘predictable’ as in you’ll know how it will end etc. Obviously, there are other plot points thrown in and a few twists, I didn’t see coming! Having read (and loved) Jane Eyre I did love seeing how this compared in a sci-fi, space set story. The sci-fi element is a nice twist on the story of Jane Eyre and in my opinion, it worked brilliantly.

Characters:
Stella: The protagonist and the ‘Jane’ in this story. She’s a teacher/ engineer who’s desperate to escape the ship she’s currently on and applies to be a governess on another ship. She’s been rejected many times and starts to lose hope of ever leaving.
She’s feisty and sassy and knows how to stick up for herself, similar to Jane Eyre.

Hugo: The love interest and ‘Mr Rochester’ in the story. He’s the captain of the Rochester and like Mr Rochester, has a dark secret lurking. I found him very sweet and likeable and I  loved reading the scenes between Stella and Hugo, so ship them!

There are also some awesome side characters too!
Jessa is a cool kid, I love the relationship she builds with Stella. The crew in general aboard the Rochester are a great cast!

Overall, it’s is really great, fun read, I thoroughly enjoyed myself whilst reading and would I highly recommend it!

Rating: 4.5 Stars!

*Thank you to the lovely Lydia from Titan Books for sending me this in exchange for an honest review. However, all opinions are my own!

 

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Top 5 Books I Read This Spring! | 2018

Hey Guys!
I thought I would start doing seasonally favourites, where I talk about the best 5 books I’ve read during that season. These are in no particular order, I don’t think I could actually rank them as they’re all great in completely different ways.
There were a few books that ended up really surprising me, I don’t tend to read outside of my comfort zone (fantasy) but I managed to branch out and found some new favourites!

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1) The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

This is surprising to me – I am not usually a dystopian fan – I usually prefer sci-fi in a space setting. However, The Handmaid’s Tale is a really interesting and powerful read. The plot is so intriguing, fascinating and quite frankly terrifying as a woman.
Full review here. 

2) Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell

Well… I knew this would be in my top 5. I loved the first two books in this series and the third book, Charmcaster, did not disappoint. I love Sebastien De Castell’s writing, it’s so humorous and entertaining! I cannot wait for the next book!
Full Review here.

 

 3) Hold Back The Stars by Katie Khan

This was another surprising one, I picked on the audiobook as it was free using my library and I ended up adoring it. I’m not usually a fan of romance-heavy books but with the sci-fi/space setting, I found I really enjoyed it.
Full Review here

4) The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Probably the biggest surprise – a mystery novel. I never ever read mystery, however, I heard this one had a sci-fi twist and had such great reviews I couldn’t pass when I saw it on my library’s audiobook list!
Full Review here

5) The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

I received this as an eArc from NetGalley, I requested it on a whim, didn’t really know much about it other than it was YA fantasy. I ended up really enjoying it, it’s a great start to a series with a great cast of characters! I’m looking forward to the next book, sadly I’ll have to wait a while. 
Full Review here

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Reread Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

As you may or may not know, I have been rereading The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. Two books down, two to go! Review for the first book The Raven Boys is here.
Just a potential spoiler warning, if you haven’t read the first book you could be spoiled!

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Synopsis:
Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after…

 

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Plot:
Rereading a favourite book can be hit or miss. You could either love it just as much or more, or you could realise you don’t like it anymore…
The plot is definitely slower than I remembered. The first time around I read this so fast but couldn’t read it fast at all this time. It’s not that it’s boring (it’s really not), I definitely didn’t remember as much as of the plot as I thought. Maybe I was taking it in more this time.
Maggie’s writing just makes everything seem interesting and as the book went on I did find it faster to read. The last 100-150 pages flew by! The book ends on a cliffhanger, which I don’t mind so much this time around as I know what happens. When I first finished The Dream Thieves I immediately picked up Blue Lily, Lily Blue.
Maggie’s whimsical, captivating writing just amazes me, it’s so beautiful to read. I’ll be finishing my reread of this series next month!
Characters:
Gansey – Still as adorable as ever. I love Gansey he’s a total sweetheart. This is the book where you really start shipping Bluesey!!
Blue –  Still as sassy and quirky as ever. I love seeing her friendship with the boys blossom.
Ronan – Still as snarky and badass as ever. I love learning more about
Adam – Poor Adam.
Mr Gray – I really do not like Mr Gray. I don’t like reading from his perspective, I just find him creepy.
Ladies of 300 Foxway – I love these women. It so makes me wish I grew up surrounded by them, as Blue did.

Thoughts whilst reading:

• I hate Mr Gray.
• Gansey’s boat shoes!!
• The boat scene in general!!
• I totally forgot Ronan trashed the Pig!
• F-king Kavinsky!

Rating: Still 5 Stars!

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Collective Book Haul!

I realised I haven’t done a haul post since April!? Since then I have acquired quite a few books, so I thought I would share them today!
Some I have already read (+ reviewed) so I’ll link my reviews too!

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Onto the actual books:

*Books sent to me for review:

Electrical Venus by Julie Mayhew (review here)

In search of us by Ava  Dellaira

Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell (review here)

Deposed by David Barbaree

Brightly Burning – Alexa Donne

 Books I won in giveaways:
The Night brother -Rosie Garland – Won this on GoodReads. Definitely, worth entering the giveaways on there, I’ve won quite a few times!
Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron (signed) – Won this from the author on Twitter
(review here)

Books bought by me:
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas + the preorder pin – Isn’t it gorgeous!  (review here)
The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan – Obviously had to pick the next book in the Trials of Apollo!
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson 10th-anniversary edition – I have been dying to get my hands on this edition, I got an Amazon gift card for my birthday and ordered it straight away!
The Power by Naomi Alderman – Charity shop find. 75p + in perfect condition!
The School for Good and Evil by Soman  Chainani – WHSmith clearance section £1
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss – WHSmith clearance section also £1 – I already own this but my copy was secondhand and rather beat up!

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Have you read any of these books? Let me know your thoughts!
Also, let me know any books you’ve bought/received lately!

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Mid-Year Reading Update!

Happy Saturday!
Since we’re halfway done with the year (crazy how time flies?!), I thought I would do a mid-year update kinda thing. Just to go over the goals I set and where I can improve for the rest of the year!

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Reading Stats:
GoodReads goal: 20 books
Read so far this year: 30 books – I underestimated how much I’d be reading. I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish many books due to college but it turns out I like to procrastinate by reading!

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At the beginning of the year, I set my reading/bookish goals for 2018.
Update on my progress:

• Read more diversely –  I have read some diverse books but I definitely still need to pick up more!
• Read more diverse genres – I have definitely been branching out. I have really got into sci-fi this year, which I have been wanting to do for some time. I still need to branch out into other genres but I’m working on it!
• Be a more analytical reader – This has definitely improved since doing an English Lit module in college!
• Listen to more audiobooks – I have listened to some audiobooks this year but I have recently stopped, I need to make this a habit again.
• Stop hoarding books – this definitely hasn’t happened. Oops.
• Use the library more – this also hasn’t happened…yet. I plan to use the library over the summer, whilst I’ll have loads of time to read and visit the library!
• No more TBR’s – Haven’t been setting out monthly TBR’s. Instead, I have been reading whatever I want depending on my mood. So I’ve definitely stuck to that goal, though it does deprive me of a blog post!

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Classics I want to read in 2018 update: 

•  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – Read (and loved) Jane Eyre (Review here). I cannot even put into words how much I loved this book.
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen –  I plan to read this over the summer.
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien – Haven’t gotten around to this one but I really need to. It has been sitting on my shelf for a year now.
• The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
  

And the last two pretty much have the same reason for not reading yet; I’m trying not to buy as many books. Hopefully, my library will have these and I’ll be able to read them soon!

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Let me know how your reading is going so far this year!
Comment below!

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Reread Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

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Synopsis:
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

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Plot: When I first read this book, last year, I found the first half to be quite slow and boring. I wasn’t sure I was going to like or continue the series. However, I did like the second half and continued. (So glad I did!)
This time around I liked the book so much more! I don’t know if it was because I already knew what was going to happen or because the characters were already familiar. I ended up reading this so quickly, I fell back in love with the world and the characters, I had an amazing time rereading this!

I was so shocked to see the foreshadowing in this book that I had completely missed the first time around. It’s crazy! One of the best things about rereading is noticing the little details you had forgotten or missed!
Characters:
I love all the characters in The Raven Boys, there isn’t one I dislike. I love their friendship and their banter and I so wish I could be apart of their group!
I love Blue’s weirdness and uniqueness, she’s so cute! I love her relationship with her mother, Maura, and the ladies of 300 fox way.

Thoughts whilst reading:

• Oh my god, I’ve missed these characters.
• Ronan is amazing.
• Bless Gansey, he’s so clueless.
• Blue is an actual babe.
• I want a pet raven.

Rating: 5 Stars!

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Book Adaptations Tag

 What is the last book-to-movie adaptation you saw?
Does Spiderman Homecoming count?? It’s a comic book adaptation…

What book-to-movie adaptation are you most excited for?
I still haven’t seen Love, Simon or The Death Cure… I need to watch both ASAP

Which upcoming book-to-movie adaptation will you definitely NOT see?
Not a movie but a show – 13 Reasons Why.  I heard the first season is decent but the second is bad and they’ve renewed for another season, despite complaints. I definitely won’t be watching.

 Which book-to-movie adaptation would you NEVER watch again?

The Golden Compass and Percy Jackson… Two of the worst adaptations ever, they make me so mad.

Is there a movie you saw that made you want to read the book if you hadn’t yet?
Jane Eyre (2011) – The book turned out to be even better! The Maze Runner – The films turned out to be way better.

Conversely, is there a movie that made you never want to read the book?
Ender’s Game… Didn’t like the movie and have no interest in reading the books.

Name an adaptation that has almost nothing to do with the book it’s supposedly based on.
The Scorch Trials… Though as I said before The Maze Runner movies are actually better!

Have you ever left the theatre during a movie adaptation because it was so bad?
I’ve never actually left, but Batman vs Superman made me want to… Had to get my money’s worth ha.

Do you prefer to watch the movie first or read the book first?

Read the book definitely!

How do you feel about movie adaptations that age characters up? (ex. characters that are in middle-school, but in the movies, they’re all 18)
Doesn’t bother me too much, if it’s reasonable.

Do you get angry when the actors don’t look like you thought the characters looked?

Hmm… Not really, if the actor plays the character well. I think that’s the most important part.

 Is there a movie you liked better than its book?
Stardust by Neil Gaiman! I freaking adore the movie but wasn’t too impressed with the book. I saw the movies first, so that’s probably why.

 Name a book that you would love to see made into a movie.
If done well, the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series would be amazing!

* I didn’t create this tag, credit goes to the original creator.

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Let’s be friends!
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Review: Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron

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Synopsis:
Ten days after Jaya Mackenzie’s mum dies, angels start falling from the sky. Smashing down to earth at extraordinary speeds, wings bent, faces contorted, not a single one has survived.

Hysteria mounting with every Being that drops, Jaya’s father uproots the family to Edinburgh intent on catching one alive. But Jaya can’t stand this obsession and, struggling to make sense of her mother’s sudden death and her own role on that fateful day, she’s determined to stay out of it.

When her best friend disappears and her father’s mania spirals, things hit rock bottom and it’s at that moment something extraordinary happens: An angel lands right at Jaya’s feet, and it’s alive. Finally, she is forced to acknowledge just how significant these celestial beings are.

Set against the backdrop of the frenzied Edinburgh festival, OUT OF THE BLUE tackles questions of grief and guilt and fear over who we really are. But it’s also about love and acceptance and finding your place in this world as angels drop out of another.

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My thoughts:
Let me just start off by saying, the representation/diversity in this book is great! I had no idea it would be diverse going in, it was a nice surprise!
There are two LGBT  characters, the main character (Jaya) is mixed-race and it has chronic illness rep! Overall, loads of great rep and it was well done from what I can tell.
It also deals with death/grief, which is a big part of the story – it’s not just about angels/ magic realism. It deals with loss and the struggle of moving on.

The writing style is really nice, easy and super quick to read. The descriptions of Scotland really make me want to visit! It sounds so beautiful.
The Beings (angels) were super interesting, I wish we could’ve learned more. (More about this below, contains minor spoilers!)

Since this book is pretty short, I don’t want to give anything away. I think it would be better to go in blind, as I did!

Characters:
Jaya: I loved Jaya! She was a great point of view to read from.  She’s a very relatable teen dealing with the loss of her mother. Her father has become obsessed with tracking the angels (Beings) and uprooted the family to Edinburgh, where he believes the next Being will fall.
Allie & Calum: Twins that Jaya meets and end up helping her with the Being. I really enjoyed both Allie and Calum, they were a great addition to the story. I really liked their friendship with Jaya and their belief in treating the Beings as people was a nice touch.

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**Minor spoilers**
Overall, a really great read. The only reason it didn’t get 5 stars is that we never get closure on the Beings. You never find out why they’re falling or anything about where they come from. I would’ve loved to know more about the Beings and their world and why they were being just thrown to earth. Sigh.

Rating: 4 Stars!

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Let’s be friends! 

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