Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Let's Talk: "Ryan's Bed" Book Review

Title: Ryan's Bed
Author: Tijan
Genre: Contemporary
Page Length: 274 pages
Publication Date: January 22, 2018
Date Started: February 19, 2018
Date Finished: February 20, 2018
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Trigger warning: this book (and subsequently, this review in discussing this book) contain suicide,  heavy use of alcohol/mentions of drugs, bullying, and more. Please read responsibly.

Five Reasons You Should Read Ryan's Bed:

  1. Proper representation of suicide and the effects on families
  2. A healthy, properly formed relationship
  3. Friendships and bonds beyond just the main two protagonists
  4. Realistic family and siblings with strong bonds
  5. The smut is great

This book tore my heart out, plain and simple. I knew it was going to be a rough book for me emotionally but it was so much more painful than I expected. Don't get me wrong, this book was fun and I laughed a lot, but the main thing that this book revolved around was incredibly sad. 

For those of you who don't know, this book is about a girl named Mackenzie who finds her twin sister after she commits suicide. I actually started this book a little while back but it was too hard for me at first. I've lost three friends to suicide in the past four years and, as an older sister myself, it was really hard for me to read through the main character finding her twin and the immediate reactions of everyone around her. Once I picked it back up again, it was still hard, but I fell in love with the story.

I genuinely loved this book. It was hard and about a really difficult topic, but it was so good. Ryan was absolutely amazing. Mac was such a great main character. The supporting characters were, for the most part, also great additions to the story. That doesn't mean that I liked all of them but I do believe that they were all realistic and good characters.

I thought that this story was very representative of the topic of suicide. Having gone through losing my friends to suicide, I thought that the grief, coping methods, and circumstances of the suicide were realistic. It was heartbreaking and something I never want another family to go through again, but I think that it did an accurate job of portraying suicide. Many people think that people who commit suicide are cowards, overdramatic, and other things. This book does a good job of showing that is not true. I think that this story is definitely very important in bringing up the topic of suicide. I think that if a lot more people could read this book then they would have a better understanding of why some people react and cope the way they do. 

Ryan was a great guy. Having gone through trauma himself, it was really nice that Mac had a person she could rely on. I think that they both used each other to cope and it was refreshing to see a couple in a book that didn't fight or break up or play manipulative games and instead understood each other and their actions. I really loved it. 

The last sentence literally made me stop breathing for a few seconds. I was so shocked, so caught of guard by it that I couldn't breathe. Looking back, the signs were there but it was just so heartbreaking and shocking. I thought it was a strong way to end the stand-a-lone book but now I'm wanting more. 

Overall, this book tore my heart out and I loved it so much. It was a story of loss, grief, healing, self-discovery, growth, love and so much more. I highly recommend it to everyone out there, but please be responsible that there are trigger warnings that you should be aware of. 

~~~

Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren

~~~

Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

~~~

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Let's Talk: "Ash Princess" by Laura Sebastian Book Review

Title: Ash Princess
Author: Laura Sebastian
Series: "Ash Princess Trilogy" #1
Genre: YA High Fantasy
Page Length: 432 pages
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
Date Started: February 13, 2018
Date Finished: February 17, 2018
Rating: 4/5 stars

*Spoiler-Free Review*

Disclaimer: I was sent an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to start off by giving a trigger warning to readers. This book contains abuse, mentions of abuse, hints at sexual assault, psychological manipulation, mentions of suicide, and more in pretty graphic ways. Please read responsibly. 

Wow was this book a ride. I have so many different thoughts and feelings that I want to discuss about this book that I don't even know where to begin. This book was so interesting. Overall, I quite enjoyed the book and the last half of it kept me reading until 2 am when I should have been sleeping to prepare for a big day of travel. However, I simply couldn't put it down. It was such a page-turner.

This book hits a lot of YA tropes such as captured princess, hopeless rebellion, love triangles, and many others. However, it's still a pretty unique book that brings a lot of original content in to mix well with the tropes.

This book was dark. There were a lot of triggers in this book, which I included a warning about at the beginning of this post. Personally, I do feel like the graphic way that these scenes were written does add to the story and is mostly realistic to if this type of world was our own. However, because of all the triggering themes and seemingly hopeless plight, this book was dark. I do think that it works for this book and makes the reader connect more with the main character and her aspirations.

The first 30% or so wasn't boring, but it wasn't fast-paced. Good books have good pacing, and I'd say that this book had pretty good pacing for the most part. However, I wasn't sitting in class yearning to have the book out because I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. I think that I definitely enjoyed the book a lot more the farther on in the story I went. I encourage all readers who aren't feeling it in the first few chapters to power through because the story gets really good.

At times I felt like there was too much narration and I ended up skimming most of those parts simply because of the repetition. This, and the first 30% that I wasn't loving or hating, is what dropped this book down to 4 stars for me. I do feel that narration is important in writing, but there was a lot of the main character going back and forth in her head for three or more pages. I felt like a lot of it could have been cut out to allow other scenes or conversations in.

There wasn't much world building, but I was completely okay with that because we don't need to know about the entire world yet. We got the information we needed but the author didn't overload us with info dumps about geography and different areas of the world, which I was glad about. Since the story was mostly focused inside the palace on things such as politics, scheming, and romance, I don't think that we needed world building in this installment.

I liked the characters, except for the Kaiser. I absolutely hated him, but that was the goal. Does that mean he was a well written character? He is obviously a psychopath and I really, truly despise him. Rarely do I hate an antagonist as much as I do, but this is one of them. He's a real piece of garbage.

Theo was a good main character. She was strong and, in my mind, realistic. I know that some reviews I've read have painted her negatively for not being strong or perfect enough and others have said she's the best main character ever, but I think she falls somewhere between the two. In real life, everything is not black and white as many decisions YA characters make seem to be written. Her struggles with what to do, when to act, who to pretend to be are completely realistic in my mind. I am excited to read more about her in the next book.

I think I am going to end the review there before I accidentally let a spoiler slip. My advice is definitely to give this book a good read-through. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm excited for the next installment that I have to wait over a year for (insert crying emoji here).

~~~

Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren

~~~

Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

~~~

Saturday, February 17, 2018

TBR Shame Tag

This is definitely going to be interesting. I'm going to count up and list all the unread books I have on my bookshelf (excluding ebooks and audiobooks, which are a whole other story). I know for a fact that I have more unread books on my shelf than books I've read, and I'm really trying on working towards fixing that. Let's just jump in to properly shaming myself!  

Title/Author
*Alphabetical by author first name*

  1. Breathe by Abbi Glines
  2. The Inquisitor's Tale (ARC) by Adam Gidwitz with Hatem Aly
  3. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
  4. Sky in the Deep (ARC) by Adrienne Young
  5. Towering by Alex Flinn
  6. First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy
  7. The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman
  8. Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
  9. The Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
  10. Because You Love To Hate Me edited by Ameriie 
  11. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
  12. Artemis by Andy Weir
  13. Written in Red by Anne Bishop
  14. Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
  15. Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull
  16. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
  17. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
  18. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson with Ben McSweeney
  19. Almost Midnight by C.C. Hunter
  20. Reborn by C.C. Hunter
  21. Eternal by C.C. Hunter
  22. Unspoken by C.C. Hunter
  23. Midnight Hour by C.C. Hunter
  24. Shadowchild by C.E. Thornton
  25. Slayers: Friends and Traitors by C.J. Hill
  26. Blood and Sand by C. W. Vyk
  27. The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich
  28. Destined for Doon by Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon
  29. Nancy Drew: The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene
  30. Nancy Drew: The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene
  31. Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
  32. The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Beennan, & Maureen Johnson
  33. Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, & Robin Wasserman
  34. Teen Frankenstein by Chandler Baker
  35. The Fire Within by Chris D'Lacey
  36. Icefire by Chris D'Lacey
  37. Fire Star byChris D'Lacey
  38. Eragon by Christopher Paolini
  39. Furyborn (ARC) by Claire Legrand
  40. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
  41. Roar by Cora Cormack
  42. Rat Trap by Craig Thomas
  43. Kids of Appetite by David Arnold
  44. The Nutcracker by David Cutting
  45. The Mortifications (ARC) by Derek Palacio
  46. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
  47. We Were Liars (Deluxe Edition) by E. Lockhart
  48. The Falconer by Elizabeth May
  49. Unraveling by  Elizabeth Norris
  50. Frostblood by Elly Blake
  51. Fireblood (ARC) by Elly Blake
  52. When We Collided by Emery Lord
  53. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
  54. Sunsational by Emma Darcy, Emma Goldrick, Penny Jordan, & Carole Mortimer
  55. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
  56. Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
  57. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
  58. The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
  59. Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
  60. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
  61. The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
  62. Inherited by Freedom Matthews
  63. Conspiracy 365: March by Gabrielle Lord
  64. Conspiracy 365: April by Gabrielle Lord
  65. Conspiracy 365: May by Gabrielle Lord
  66. Conspiracy 365: June by Gabrielle Lord
  67. Conspiracy 365: July by Gabrielle Lord
  68. Conspiracy 365: August by Gabrielle Lord
  69. Conspiracy 365: September by Gabrielle Lord
  70. Conspiracy 365: October by Gabrielle Lord
  71. Conspiracy 365: November by Gabrielle Lord
  72. Conspiracy 365: December by Gabrielle Lord
  73. Conspiracy 365: Revenge by Gabrielle Lord
  74. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
  75. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
  76. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
  77. American Drifter (ARC) by Heather Graham and Chad Michael Murray
  78. The Cruel Prince (B&N Edition) by Holly Black
  79. The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle
  80. For the Love of Benji by I.F. Love
  81. Hashtag Magic: Blue Screen of Death by J. Steven Young
  82. Whispers of the Fallen by J.D. Netto
  83. Hary Potter à l'école des sorciers by J.K. Rowling
  84. Harry Potter et le prisonnier d'Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
  85. Quiddith Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling
  86. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
  87. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  88. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  89. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
  90. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
  91. Soul Thief by Jana Oliver
  92. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame Smith
  93. Into the Dim  by Janet B. Taylor
  94. The Heist by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg
  95. The Chase by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg
  96. Godsgrave-B&N Exclusive by Jay Kristoff
  97. The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles
  98. The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
  99. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
  100. Holding Up the Universe (ARC) by Jennifer Niven
  101. New World Rising by Jennifer Wilson
  102. A Poison Dark and Drowning (ARC) by Jessica Cluess
  103. Peter Pan (Puffin Chalk Edition) by J.M. Barrie
  104. Peter Pan (Harper Illustrated/Interactive Edition) by J.M. Barrie
  105. Before She Ignites (Owlcrate Exclusive Cover) by Jodi Meadows
  106. Herbie Goes Bananas by Joe Claro
  107. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
  108. Turtles All The Way Down by John Green
  109. Star Crossed by Josephine Angelini
  110. A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
  111. The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia
  112. One of Us is Lying by Kara M. McManus
  113. Burned by Karen Marie Moning
  114. By Your Side by Kasie West
  115. The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
  116. The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee
  117. Sandcastle Empire (Owlcrate Exclusive Cover) by Kayla Olson
  118. Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco
  119. Hunting Prince Dracula (ARC) by Kerri Maniscalco
  120. Now I Rise by Kiersten White
  121. The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli
  122. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
  123. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
  124. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
  125. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
  126. Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
  127. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  128. These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  129. The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  130. Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
  131. The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes by Leanord Goldbery
  132. Never Go Back by Lee Child
  133. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
  134. Seige and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
  135. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
  136. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
  137. Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
  138. Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer
  139. Once Again by Liz Braswell & Cameron Dokey
  140. Whenever I'm With You by Lydia Sharp
  141. Gunslinger Girl (ARC) by Lyndsay Ely
  142. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Owlcrate Exclusive) by Mackenzi Lee
  143. Part-Time Cowboy by Maisey Yates
  144. The Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell
  145. Night Study by Maria V. Snyder
  146. The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski
  147. The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
  148. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
  149. Heartless (ARC) by Marissa Meyer
  150. Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
  151. The Book Thief (Anniversary Edition) by Markus Zusak
  152. The Book Jumper by Mechthild Gläser
  153. Girls Made of Snow and Glass (ARC) by Melissa Bashardoust
  154. Alex and Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz
  155. The Dragon's Blade by Michael R. Miller
  156. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer byMichelle Hodkin
  157. Hexed (arc) by Michelle Krys
  158. Avalon by Mindy Arnett
  159. Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally
  160. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
  161. A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes
  162. Crystal Storm by Morgan Rhodes
  163. Star Wars: Episodes IV-VI by unknown author
  164. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
  165. The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini
  166. Boy, 9, Missing (ARC) by Nic Joseph
  167. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
  168. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
  169. Hidden by P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast
  170. Redeemed by P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast
  171. Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell
  172. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
  173. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
  174. The Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simons
  175. Red Rising (paperback) by Pierce Brown
  176. Red Rising (hardcover) by Pierce Brown
  177. Golden Son by Pierce Brown
  178. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
  179. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
  180. Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
  181. Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent
  182. Walk On Earth A Stranger by Rae Carson
  183. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
  184. The Merciful Scar by Rebecca St. James & Nancy Rue
  185. Flame in the Mist by Renée Adieh
  186. The House of Hades (HoO) by Rick Riordan
  187. The Blood of Olympus (HoO) by Rick Riordan
  188. Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds (ARC) (MC) byRick Riordan
  189. The Hidden Oracle (ToA) by Rick Riordan
  190. Lock and Key: The Initiation (ARC) by Ridley Pearson
  191. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
  192. The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
  193. Over There by Robert Vaughan
  194. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
  195. Wandering Star byRomina Russell
  196. Black Moon by Romina Russell
  197. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
  198. Invictus (ARC) by Ryan Graudin
  199. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
  200. The Song Rising (Collector's) by Samantha Shannon
  201. Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch
  202. Love Me Never by Sara Wolf
  203. Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers
  204. Keleana: La prisonnière by Sarah J. Maas
  205. Keleana: La reine sans couronne by Sarah J. Maas
  206. Zenith (ARC) by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsey Cummings
  207. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
  208. Alive by Scott Sigler
  209. The Complete Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  210. The Complete Sherlock Holmes: Volume 2 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  211. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  212. A Study in Scarlet ~ The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  213. The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron
  214. The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
  215. The Sister Pact by Stacie Ramey
  216. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
  217. The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
  218. Fascination by Stephenie Meyer
  219. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
  220. Hunger Games (French edition) by Suzanne Collins
  221. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
  222. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
  223. Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
  224. The Novice by Taran Matharu
  225. The Inquisition by Taran Matharu
  226. The Battlemage (B&N Exclusive) by Taran Matharu
  227. The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks
  228. Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
  229. Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
  230. Petals on the Wind by V.C. Andrews
  231. If There Be Thorns by V.C. Andrews
  232. My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews
  233. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
  234. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
  235. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
  236. Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard
  237. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
  238. The Archived by Victoria Schwab
  239. H20 by Virginia Bergin
  240. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
  241. Jackaby by William Ritter
  242. Beastly Bones by William Ritter
  243. No Summit Out of Sight by Jordan Romero
  244. The Lost City of Z by David Grann
  245. You Get So Alone by Charles Bukowski
  246. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kupar
  247. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
  248. The Shadowhunter's Codex by Cassandra Clare & Joshua Lewis
Wowza. I have a lot of reading to catch up on. Hopefully some day I'll be able to read them all, but with new releases coming out and a loaded up schedule, I highly doubt that. Fingers crossed that I get to most of these soon!

~~~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

~~~

Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

~~~

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Let's Talk: "Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli Book Review

Title: Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Author: Becky Albertalli
Genre: YA LGBTQ+ Contemporary
Page Length: 303 pages
Publication Date: April 7, 2015
Date Started: February 9, 2018
Date Finished: February 9, 2018
Rating: 5/5 stars

*Spoiler Free Review*

I adored this book. I expected to like it but I didn't think I would love it as much as I did. I absolutely fell in love with Simon and Blue and everyone in this book. There was never a moment that I wanted to stop reading and take a break. It was fantastic.

Simon's plight was written in a way that was very relatable and I genuinely felt for him. I think that this is definitely an important book for teens who are struggling with their sexuality and coming out. It also brings up the topic of bullying in a way that I think it very realistic.

All in all, I don't have anything bad to say about this book. I thought it was an amazing page-turner and I only with the movie was coming out sooner than March. I can't wait to go. I loved this book and I'm so happy that I finally got to read it after years of it being on my TBR.

~~~

Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren

~~~

Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

~~~

Friday, February 9, 2018

Let's Talk: "Nevernight" by Jay Kristoff Book Review

Title: Nevernight
Author: Jay Kristoff
Series: "Nevernight Chronicles" #1
Genre: High Fantasy
Page Length: 429 pages
Publication Date: August 9, 2016
Date Started: January 16, 2018
Date Finished: February 9, 2018
Rating: 4.75/5 stars
Amazon

*Spoiler Free Review*

I really enjoyed this book. I was hoping that they hype wouldn't make my expectations too high but I was thoroughly pleased with this book. It was a little slow going for me at the beginning simply because of how busy I was getting back into the groove of things at college, but when I finally had a lot of spare time, I read 300 pages in less than a night because I just had to know what happened. 

I must say, the last 150 pages were such a whirlwind of emotions and feelings that I'm genuinely surprised I didn't cry. It was 100% because I was in a room full of my friend and didn't want to start crying in front of them, but I'm still surprised I pulled it off. 

This book was epic and bloody and everything I needed. Mia is such a badass and I can't wait to see how her character progresses in the upcoming books. There are a few characters that I'm not going to chat about because it might spoil the ending for anyone, but I'm so excited to see what happens with them in the next.

I'm so grateful I bought book 2 when it came out because after finishing the book, I want moreeee. I want to know what happens with these characters even though the ending of this book was relatively cliff-hanger free. I'm excited to dive into book 2 hopefully soon. 

~~~

Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren

~~~

Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

~~~

Thursday, February 1, 2018

January 2018 Wrap-Up!

(Bookshelf appreciation because I miss my huge shelves)

Hey guys! It's already the end of the first month of 2018 and I'm just wondering how time flew by so fast. Just yesterday I was graduating from high school and now I'm already on my third week of my second semester of college. Winter break seemed to fly by and, while I miss some aspects of home, I am absolutely thrilled to be back at college. So without further ado, let's go ahead and talk about my reading month for January. I read 6 books, and started another 3 that I'm hoping to have finished in February along with my new TBR. It may seem like 6 books is pretty good, but I didn't love all of them. I was disappointed by a couple that I was really looking forward to. I can only hope that February will be a month filled with better books.

BOOKS READ

1.
Title: Trickiest Job
Author: Cleo Peitsche
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
If you read my December Wrap-Up (linked below), then you know that I started reading this series on New Year's Eve. It's such a page turner and I love how there's a lot more plot coming as I'm already on the next book. Everything is getting so much more intense and I'm excited to see how this series comes along.

2.
Title: Dirtiest Lie
Author: Cleo Peitsche
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
While I've stated in my December Wrap-Up and above, these books are extremely smutty and don't have a lot of plot to them, the storyline has actually been growing more and more in these later books. There was actually more story than smut in this book and I really enjoyed it. It has me really excited for the final book. This one was also longer than the others, so I felt like I really got a bang for my buck. Definitely glad to have read this. 

3.
Title: Forbidden Fix
Author: Cleo Peitsche
Rating: 3.75/5 stars
Oh I think that this was definitely my favorite of the series. Or at least in my top 2. There was a lot more plot and action in this book than the previous ones, but still plenty of smut scenes. At one chapter, I almost threw my phone across the room and that's when I knew that this book had hooked me. I thought the ending was a great one for this series and I wish we had more of these characters. At the same time, though, I want everything to remain as it did when this book ended. Either way, I enjoyed this book and really enjoyed this series.

4. 
Title: A Wild and Unremarkable Thing
Author: Jen Castleberry

5.
Title: Sultana's Dream
Author: Rokheya Sakhawal Hossain
Rating: Not rated
I chose not to rate this book simply because I read it for school and didn't feel that it would be fair to rate a book that I wasn't reading for enjoyment. That being said, I did enjoy it. It was quite short, more of a short story than a novel (but hey, Goodreads counted it), yet addressed some key social issues. Obviously as this book was written in the early 1900s, it's not as relevant to today's society as it once was, but there are still some ideas addressed in the story that can be applied to today. It's a very feminist tale and I enjoyed it. I also liked that I got a look into Indian culture, which I haven't read much of.

6.
Title: Found
Author: B.L. Brunnemer
Rating: 3.75/5 stars
Review: http://laurensboookshelf.blogspot.com/2018/01/lets-talk-found-by-bl-brunnemer-book.html


BLOG POSTS

Series I Finished in 2017!
Life Update Moving Into 2018
Top Books of 2017!
Goals for 2018!
Announcing My 2018 Read-A-Longs!
Hamilton Book Tag!
Let's Talk: "A Wild and Unremarkable Thing" Book Review
Reading Nook Tour: Spring 2018!
Book Release: "Ryan's Bed" by Tijan
Let's Talk: "Found" by B.L. Brunnemer Book Review
January 2018 Book Haul

MOVES/TV SHOWS WATCHED

I finished watching Psych for the second time. I watched it years and years ago but never actually watched the last four episodes somehow? It was like a present to myself because I was getting to watch new episodes of Psych. I really enjoyed my rewatch and I can't wait to do it again. These characters and this show are just phenomenal and I love it so much.

I also watched 47 Meters Down which scared the shit out of me. I don't do well with jump scares at all, and that movie was many jump scares. I ended up muting it and putting subtitles on because I was not dealing with that.


I also finished the first season of Gilmore Girls and WHY did I never watch this show before?! I am so invested in this series and I'm thrilled to have something new to binge. I'm already a few episodes into season 2 and I can't wait to watch more.

FAVORITES

Snacks: Hummus
Candy: Reese's &
Music: "Adiemus" by Enya or
Hobby: Sleeping/Watching Vines

~~~

Thanks for reading! Here's to a great February. There are a lot of incredible events coming up this month and I am so excited!
xoxo
Lauren

~~~

Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

~~~