Monday, July 27, 2020

Book Review: "Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Title: Breaking Dawn
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Series: "Twilight Saga" #4
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Page Length: 756 pages
Publication Date: August 2, 2008
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

*Small (and I mean small) spoilers for the series*

So...I finished my reread of the Twilight Saga. Like with the rest of the books in this series, I haven't read Breaking Dawn in years. I do not know when the last time I read it was, but I know that this was probably my most-read book of the entire series. It always used to be my favorite and I was questioning if that would change when I reread it.

I don't know if it's my favorite or if it's tied with Twilight and New Moon for the top spot. I think the one thing is the first half of the book is so long and part of it is told from Jacob's point of view which felt less like Twilight to me. The part where Bella is pregnant just felt a lot longer than it needed to be, honestly. I do absolutely love the rest of it, though, from the honeymoon to her becoming a vampire to the ending. Especially the last half of the book! I have always loved that part of the series the most (for reasons I can't really get into without major spoilers). I'd probably say that this is my favorite book but Twilight and New Moon are close seconds.

That being said, I think one of the reasons why I like this book the most is because the whole love-triangle business is pretty much over. Obviously we still have a bit of those feelings swirling around, but as there's a wedding going on, it's pretty finalized and eventually those angsty feelings from all the characters go away. I really love how the characters in the love triangle overcome those antagonistic feelings and become very tight-knit.

Another reason I like this book more was because a lot of the toxic behavior is much less. We have a very small amount of it, but you can really see the character growth from the first book to this one. Edward, though he disagrees with some of her actions, doesn't force Bella into doing anything. I just like how these characters have developed past the need for control and asshole-ness.

I like how we get to see all the Cullen clan more in this book as well as the Pack. I love each of these sets of characters and seeing them all throughout the entire book was such good time for me. I like big found-family groups in books and these groups are the definition of found-family.

That being said, still not a big fan of a few small things such as how Bella chose Nessie's name, the pregnancy scenes, etc. But overall I still really enjoyed this installment and it's still my number one.

It will be interesting for me after finishing this reread to go back to the beginning in Midnight Sun for Edward's perspective. There's only a year and a half or so between the start of Twilight and Breaking Dawn but it feels so much longer. I can't wait to see Edward's POV, though, and hopefully get even more Cullen family content!



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Saturday, July 25, 2020

Book Review: The Summer King Novellas by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Summer King Bundle: 3 Stories by Jennifer L. Armentrout ...
Titles: The Prince, The King, & The Queen
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: "A Wicked Trilogy" #3.5, #3.6, #3.7
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Overall Page Length: 536 pages
Final Publication Date: July 14, 2020
Individual Ratings: 4.5 // 5 stars ~ 5 // 5 stars ~ 5 // 5 stars
Overall Rating: 5 // 5 stars

I wanted to wait until all three novellas had come out before reading them so even though I finished the main books in A Wicked Trilogy last summer, I didn't read these novellas right away. I'm really glad that I did it this way because I would have been so shook by the cliffhangers and this way I didn't have to wait. 

A Wicked Trilogy is one of my favorite series written by Jennifer and I was so excited to be back in this world with these characters. I especially was interested in seeing how the world and characters were progressing after the events of the final book. 

These novellas follow a side character from the original trilogy but still features most of the main characters from that one. I absolutely loved getting to know more about Brighton and Caden and being able to read their story. I was sucked in almost immediately as I do most times I read a book by Jennifer and couldn't stop until I finished. I was addicted to the romance, the angst, the storyline. These characters were pretty well fleshed out and getting to see their character and relationship development over the course of the three novellas was wonderful.

I also have to mention one of my favorite characters...Tink! He played a huge role in the original books and I was so glad to see him play a big role in these novellas. I loved getting to see him again and I honestly would love to see a novella about him and where his story is going. 

The overall plot was rife with tension and the stakes were high. I was honestly getting into the third novella and unsure how everything was going to get resolved and if there would be a happy ending. Also, just the entirety of the second novella was so angsty and heartbreaking. I honestly loved how it played with my heart.

I think there's a lot of potential for future novellas or works in this world, whether following these characters, the original trilogy main characters, or other side characters that haven't yet had a big focus on them. However, I think that the ending was satisfying. I just always want more with this world and series since I love it so much. 

Overall, I absolutely loved these novellas and I'm so glad that I read them during Reading Rush. They were such a fun revisit to the world of A Wicked Trilogy and I honestly am really wanting to reread the original trilogy now. I highly recommend these novellas, but only after you've read the original trilogy because they do contain major spoilers! 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Thursday, July 23, 2020

Book Review: "Curse of the Night Witch" by Alex Aster

Curse of the Night Witch (Emblem Island, #1)
Title: Curse of the Night Witch
Author: Alex Aster
Series: "Emblem Island" #1
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Page Length: 352 pages
Publication Date: June 9, 2020
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

*I was sent a free digital ARC of this book from Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own*

Going into this book, I didn't really know what to expect. I was hoping for an enjoyable middle grade adventure but wasn't exactly sure of what was going to happen. I ended up being pleasantly surprised at how fun and enjoyable this book was. 

I think what drove this for me was our three main characters. They are pretty well written and unique in their own ways even though we only get Tor's point-of-view throughout the novel. I thought it was interesting to see the character developments from the beginning to end of the book and how the relationships changed. I really liked all three characters. I feel like Tor is just trying to live his life on his own terms, Melda is the strong but suffer in silence type, and Engle is a food-loving, loyal friend (I highly relate to his food loving). 

Additionally, this world was very interesting. I was wondering throughout the book if this would be a stand alone or a series and I'm pretty excited that there's going to be more books. I want to know more about the magic system and the world because it's all rather fascinating. 

This book was also just a fun adventure. Sure, there were lots of serious or tense moments, but overall I'd say I had fun reading this book because of the fun, adventure aspect. We cover a lot of events and visit a lot of different parts of this island and it was very enjoyable to read. I thought the balance between fun banter, serious conversations, and high-stakes actions was quite good. 

One thing that I tend to enjoy most about middle grade is how easy it is to fall into the story and how they're usually quick reads for me. This book was exactly that way for me and I really enjoyed my time. I ended up reading it in one sitting and I think that worked best for me. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and I'm interested in seeing where the plot and characters go next (especially after that ending). 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Monday, July 20, 2020

Reading Rush TBR


Hello everyone! Today I am super excited because it's the start of Reading Rush! Reading Rush is a 7-day long readathon that starts today and ends on Sunday. There are different challenges for what to read and there's a bunch of fun activities that will go on throughout the week. But, without further ado, here's my to-be-read pile!



Challenge 1: Read a book with a cover that matches the color of your birthstone.

I was born in August so my birthstone is the peridot which is a bright green color. It was actually quite difficult to find a book for this, so I decided to go with three short novellas instead of a full novel. I've chosen Meeting Sang: Gabriel, Meeting Sang: Nathan, and Meeting Sang: Silas by C.L. Stone

Meeting Sang: Silas (The Ghost Bird, #1.3) Meeting Sang: Nathan (The Ghost Bird, #1.4) Meeting Sang: Gabriel (The Ghost Bird, #1.5)

These are three novellas taking place from different character POVs during the first book in the Ghost Bird series. I've read the first two but haven't gotten to these three yet. I think they'll be short, quick reads and I'll hopefully gain some character insights through them. 



Challenge 2: Read a book that starts with the word "The."

For this challenge, I decided to go with The Prince and The King by Jennifer L. Armentrout. These are two of the novellas following the Wicked trilogy and I've been eagerly awaiting the release of the final novella before I read these. They're both under 200 pages so I think it will be easy to fulfill this challenge.

The Prince (A Wicked Trilogy, #3.5) The King (A Wicked Trilogy #3.6)


Challenge 3: Read a book that inspired a movie you've already seen. 

This might be cheating since I've already read this book, but I chose Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. This is the final book in the Twilight Saga and I've been rereading the series in preparation for Midnight Sun's release in August. It's been many years since I've actually read this but it was always my favorite in the series so I hope that this will also be a quick read.

Breaking Dawn (Twilight, #4)


Challenge 4: Read the first book you touch. 

The first book from my monthly TBR that I touched was Burn by Maya Banks. This is the third and final book in the Breathless Trilogy which is a trilogy of companion romance novels following different main couples. I read the first two each in one sitting and I'm surprised that it actually took me so long to finally get around to reading this one. 

Burn (Breathless, #3)


Challenge 5: Read a book completely outside of your house

For this challenge, I'm going with The Queen by Jennifer L Armentrout. This is the final novella in the Wicked trilogy that I mentioned in Challenge 2. This is also relatively short and I think that on the day where the weather is nice that I can get outside and read this easily. Although, I may also take one of the novellas from challenge 1 to fulfill this challenge since they're shorter. Either way, I will be reading this during the readathon no matter what. 

The Queen (A Wicked Trilogy #3.7)


Challenge 6: Read a book in a genre that you've always wanted to read more of. 

I've chosen nonfiction for this challenge and I actually have two picks for this. The first that I want to read is Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge. This is a nonfiction book about systematic racism and how it impacts all areas of life with a specific reference to the UK. As someone who wants to move to the UK in a couple years, I think it's very important that I'm knowledgable about how structural racism is similar and different to America.

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

The second is Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi. I don't see myself finishing this book this week since it's a super long, dense history book but I would like to make some significant progress. I read a couple chapters last night and already feel as if I've learned more about racial history than in my entire public school education. I can tell that this is going to be an invaluable resource for me and I do want to continue reading it this week even if I can't finish it before the readathon is over. 



Challenge 7: Read a book that takes place on a different continent than where you live. 

I've chosen two books for this challenge as well. It may be slightly cheating in that I've chosen fantasy books but, to be fair, they don't take place on my continent. The first of these is Curse of the Night Witch by Alex Aster. It's a middle-grade fantasy that came out a month ago and I meant to review before then.

Curse of the Night Witch (Emblem Island, #1) The Dark Tide (The Dark Tide, #1)

The second is The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska. This is a YA fantasy that sounds so good. This one comes out in August and I'd also like to have my review up before then. This is actually also the book that I am starting this readathon with today.



Are you going to be participating in the Reading Rush? Let me know in the comments below! I am super excited to be participating in this readathon for the first time and I can only hope that I'm going to be motivated to actually complete the challenges!



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Saturday, July 18, 2020

Book Review: "Supernova" by Marissa Meyer

Supernova (Renegades, #3)
Title: Supernova
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: "Renegades" #3
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Page Length: 552 pages
Publication Date: November 5, 2019
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Wow. All I can say is wow. This book was so good and I had an absolutely wonderful time reading it. I binged this series over the course of about a week and I can firmly say that after finishing this trilogy it has cemented itself as one of my favorites of all time.

When I started this book, it was pretty late in the evening. I only planned to read about 100 pages before going to bed. The next thing I knew, I had finished the entirety of this 550+ page book in one sitting and it was now 2 am. And I wouldn't have changed a thing.

So much happened in this book and I don't have the time or space to discuss it all. Marissa Meyer truly knew how to build the tension throughout the trilogy so that this final book was explosive. So many things happened that I expected but there were also a lot of things that happened that I was not expecting. I was truly blown away by this book.

We start off with high-tension right at the beginning. There is no significant change in time between the end of the second book and the start of this book so I felt that I was right back in the story and the action. Since the first two books had been building tension and upping the stakes, the tension was quite high at the beginning of this book. I felt that, although there were less high-action scenes in this book until the end, the book was definitely not boring or slow paced at all because the tension was so high.

The characters were wonderful, again. There were a few moments with different characters that I was so excited for and finally happened. That being said, I do think the focus on the character development wasn't as strong as the first two books. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, because I felt that I had a good connection to the characters from the first two books. I also just want more of these characters! I want novellas and stories about them just living their lives after this trilogy's events.

It's hard for me to succinctly put my love for this book into a review. I just had so much fun with this trilogy that I don't have any bad things to say about it. I'll just end with this: I absolutely adored this series and I'm so glad that I finally read it. I highly recommend it to everyone who likes science-fiction, enemies to lovers tropes, and flawed superheros.



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Book Review: "Archenemies" by Marissa Meyer

Archenemies (Renegades, #2)
Title: Archenemies
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: "Renegades" #2
Genre: YA Sci-Fi 
Page Length: 474 pages
Publication Date: November 6, 2018
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Book 1 Review

Okay so from the very first page of Renegades, I was obsessed with this story. After how that book ended, I was very excited to see where the story would go in this book. I was not disappointed in the slightest. So many things happened in this book both plot and character wise and I could not put it down.

Much like the first book, this book starts with an action scene. We are right into the action and don't have to bother with long lead-ups or narratives. One of the many things that Marissa Meyer does right is suck you into the book right from the beginning. Like the first book as well, once we are pulled in, this novel does not let you go. I did read this over the course of three or four sittings but only because I was falling asleep while reading. When I was reading this book, there was not a single moment in which I wanted it to be over quicker.

The thing I love most about this series is the characters. We have our two main characters, Nova and Adrian, who alternate POVs throughout the novel. I absolutely adore each of them and think that their perspectives are so interesting to read from. The character and relationship developments with each of them were so on point. Their inner journeys as well as moral struggles are so well done in this trilogy, especially in this book. I really can't say much else other than I love these two so much. They have quickly become some of my favorite characters I've ever read from.

The side characters also make this book stand out from other series. Whereas in some series, the side characters fall into the background or don't get much development, the side characters in this trilogy are so well written. While none of them have their own POVs, we do get plenty of page time with them. I like that we also get to see side characters from each side of this battle: Anarchists vs Renegade. I just...I love most of the side characters and the ones that I don't love were written to be unlikable and were still written brilliantly. Also, I just have to say, I love them all and am so scared for the final book because half of them are on one side of the fight and half of them are on the other.

Of course, while characters tend to drive stories for me, the plot and storyline of this book did not suffer at all. Not only are we continuing with some existing plot lines from the first book, but there are a lot of new reveals and twists in this book that have their own little threads to follow. All of these threads do tie back to the main plot of the entire trilogy and I felt that the depth we get from them has really made this trilogy stand out even more to me.

This book also seemed darker and grittier than the first one. We still had fun and cute moments, but the tension is building and things are getting more serious as the stakes rise. There are some seriously messed up things that happen as well which just add to the tension. I am rather interested to see what the mood of the final book is going to be.

One of my favorite things about this trilogy is the moral debates. To try and sum it up without spoiling anything, there is this new society created by the Renegades after the Age of Anarchy and some people love it but some people see flaws with it. Then there are different actions being taken, rules being put into place, etc but also a ruling council that wasn't elected but rather put themselves in charge. There are also plenty of other moral and philosophical debates in these books, but I really love how Marissa has written them in. I myself have no idea what to even think because I've read from differing perspectives and can understand each of them. I'm just very excited to see how these moral dilemmas are continued in the final book.  

Overall, I just loved this book. I am so excited and nervous about the final book that I'm going to be starting later today. I think that Marissa has really outdone herself with this trilogy and I find myself loving these books more than the Lunar Chronicles (the only other books I've read by her). I think that, based off just the first two books, this series will definitely be one of my favorites and I can only hope that the final book solidifies that standing.



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Monday, July 13, 2020

Book Review: "Renegades" by Marissa Meyer

Renegades (Renegades, #1)
Title: Renegades
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: "Renegades" #1
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Page Length: 556 pages
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Why did it take me so long to read this book?! I'm cursing past Lauren for her mistake because this book was amazing and she should have read it sooner. To be fair, when this book first came out I wasn't at all interested in reading about superheros and preferred watching them in movies. However, over the past few years, I saw the hype around this series and I'd read other things by Marissa Meyer so I became more intrigued. Finally, I bought this book over a year ago. Still, it took me up until a few days ago to finally start it and I'm so happy that I finally did!

I'll start off by saying that, objectively, this book has flaws. If I wanted to get into the deep analysis of pacing, plot, character development, etc then this book would probably be 4 or 4.5 stars instead of the 5 that I've given it. However, based on my pure enjoyment and the fun I had reading this, I had to give it the full 5 stars.

What drove this book for me was definitely the characters. We follow two main POVs, Nova (who is an Anarchist) and Adrian (who is a Renegade). I adored both of them. I could go on and on about these two, but I'll just say that (1) I really loved them as individual characters and (2) I really loved their interactions. These two characters are very well fleshed out and I can't wait to see more of them in the next book.

The side characters were also phenomenal. I think the way that Meyer wrote this story was interesting because we're getting both the stories of the Anarchists (the "villains") and the Renegades (the "heroes"). Neither are perfect and I honestly could not tell you who I'd prefer to win in a battle. I just loved getting to know each of the characters on each side. They're all so unique and well-written.

I also really enjoyed the overall story. I thought the book was balanced well with the action placed well throughout the book. The book started off on a high-intensity scene and kept that energy and excitement throughout the entire novel.

There's really not much else that I can say except I loved this book. I had such a great time reading it and I cannot wait to read the rest of the trilogy! Overall, I just want to describe this book as fun. Despite the book being serious most of the time and all the action, betrayal, etc...I just had a fun time reading it. I highly recommend this to sci-fi and Marissa Meyer fans!



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Thursday, July 9, 2020

Unboxing: Dreamy & Co's "Welcome to Crescent City" Box


Today I'm here with something that I haven't done in a while...an unboxing! I rarely buy book boxes anymore, as I usually don't have a need for most of the items that come in them, but I do occasionally splurge on one. Usually the book boxes I buy nowadays are those that have one fandom only, which is exactly what Dreamy & Co does! When they announced the June box, I knew that I had to jump on it. 

I absolutely love this box. I think that you really get good quality items with beautiful designs at an excellent price point. What really made me get this box was the fact that it was only $20 whereas other boxes with all of these goodies usually sell for much higher. I also was, of course, in love with the theme which was all centered around House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas! I feel like I've rambled enough so far so let's go ahead and just dive right in! (Tip: to see the pictures better on their own, click on them and it will give you a slide-show of the enlarged images)



So Dreamy & Co has these super cute boxes that they ship in every month. It's also a perfect sized box for storing art prints, pins, and other small merch items. I plan on keeping this box to use for my Crescent City-themed merch until I have actual bookshelves again!

When you open the box, you're greeted with the spoiler card. I avoided looking at it until after I was done going through the box, but there's information about each item and who the artists were. Plus, the monthly theme artwork is just really pretty.

The first thing that I pulled out of this box was a gorgeous pin banner designed by Evie Bookish with art and the quote "Light it up." Not only is this pin banner stunning, but it's also huge! I am definitely going to be displaying all of my Sarah J. Maas themed pins on this one in the future. It could also work just as a mini tapestry or wall hanging.

The next item that I saw was this gorgeous candle from Flick the Wick. It's theme was Lunathion (the name of the city in the book) and smells like red currant, wood, fig, and obsidian salt. I'm not a scent person so for those who don't know what those smell like together, I'd say that it's a woodsy, yet sweet and salty scent--like something you'd find in a cabin. I really like the smell and I'm very excited to use it in pictures!

The next item that I pulled out was a coaster that has the quote, "Loyal unto death and beyond." It's so gorgeous and I absolutely love the significance behind this quote! This coaster was designed by Dreamy & Co themselves. I actually use coasters quite a bit. I don't use specific sets, but I have a few coasters that I use at my desk and my nightstands and I have a feeling this will be one of them!

Up next was a gorgeous enamel pin designed by Azura Arts. It has the quote, "Through love all is possible," which is one of my favorite quotes from the book. I can't wait to use this one in pictures as well! I have another pin with this quote on it from Bloomsbury, but whereas that one is more simplistic, this new pin has artwork and is beautiful.

The next item was a double-sided sturdy bookmark designed by Dreamy & Co. On one side it says, "You see everything I am, and you don't run away from it." The other side has the quote, "Then let the world know that my first act of freedom was to help my friends." I love both of these quotes and think that this bookmark is so pretty! I can't wait to use it in pictures and for my Crescent City rereads.

Then I pulled out a double-sided wooden bookmark, also designed by Dreamy & Co. This is absolutely stunning and I am so in love with it. One side says, "To live, To love, knowing that it might all vanish tomorrow. It makes everything that much more precious" (there was a typo on this quote on the bookmark, but the company has been in contact with two options for rectifying it). The other side says, "My friend are with me, and I am not afraid." When I tell you the angst I felt reading that quote!

Lastly, there were two double-sided sturdy prints. On one side of each print there was artwork of Hunt and Bryce designed by BxRomance and on the other sides there was quote art designed by Dreamy & Co. I really like the artwork of the characters (it's some of the best I've seen). The quotes one each print were, "Bound by Blood. Tempted by Desire. Unleashed by Destiny," and, "The power shall always belong to those who give their lives to the city." I love both of these quotes and can't wait to use these prints in pictures!

Overall, I am very satisfied with this box. An enamel pin and a candle alone can sometimes cost $20+ so the fact that we got those items plus two more items, two bookmarks, and two prints is really amazing. I am also very happy with the quality of the items in this box and the artwork. I will definitely be buying from Dreamy & Co again when they have another fandom that I'm interested in!



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Book Review: "The Crow Rider" by Kalyn Josephson

The Crow Rider by Kalyn Josephson
Title: The Crow Rider
Author: Kalyn Josephson
Series: "The Storm Crow" #2
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 368 pages
Publication Date: July 7, 2020
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

*I was provided a free e-arc from Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own*

When I read The Storm Crow, I fell in love with the story and the characters. After the way the first book ended, I was really interested in seeing how things were dealt with in this novel. I do think that I liked the first book a little bit more, but I still really enjoyed this finale.

One of the things that I like most about these books is how easy it is to fall into them. Kalyn's writing is so wonderful and I've never had any issue with becoming engaged with her stories. One of the things I like about this duology is that we get an engaging high fantasy with wonderful characters but it's not dense, overly-complicated, or super long. While I do like dense fantasies some of the time, I also really love ones like these books. For me, this duology is the epitome of a good Young Adult Fantasy in that it's accessible for younger readers but engaging for those who like a bit of a grittier premise.

I adored the characters just as much this time around. There were a few side characters who were featured heavily in book one that didn't get as much page time in this one that I wished I'd seen more of. However, there were some new characters that were introduced that I really connected with.

Obviously, I love our main character more than the rest. Thia is just so strong and complex. Her bonds with the other characters as well as her internal struggles added such great depth to the story. Additionally, one of the things I liked most about the first book is that it included Thia's mental health journey. I was really glad to see that not only do we get the continuation of her growth and journey, but we also get to see other characters' also healing from trauma and pain.

As much as I loved this book, I'm also really left wanting more. I want more of these characters, more of the world and lore, and so much more of the crows and magic! I would love if the author revisited this world following a different character (or even a continuation of Thia's story) because I just am so intrigued by everything in it. I really wish I'd gotten to see even more of the different magic systems and history but I also feel that I was never confused due to lack of information. Overall, I wish there was more of everything because I just really liked this duology!



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Monday, July 6, 2020

June 2020 Book Haul


Hello everyone! Today I am back with my book haul for the month of June! I really like the haul I have this month and I'm excited to read all the books I got! I got a total of 10 books and have already read some of them. Let's just go ahead and dive right in!



The Archer at Dawn (The Tiger at Midnight Trilogy, #2)The first book I got this month was a finished hardcover of The Archer at Dawn by Swati Teerdhala which was sent to me by Wunderkind PR! This is the sequel to The Tiger at Midnight which I read in May and enjoyed! I'm really excited to see where this sequel goes since the synopsis seems to hint at some exciting things!

Girl, InterruptedThe next book I got was one that I ended up buying for class before finding out the professor put up digital copies for us to use. That was Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen. I did read this one in June and it was pretty eye-opening and interesting, but I wouldn't say that I enjoyed it or liked it. I don't think this is one that I'm going to read again so when I get the chance I'm actually going to unhaul it.

How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial DivideUp next I have How to Be Less Stupid About Race by Crystal M. Fleming. This was a book recommended to me for education on systematic racism in America. I'm hoping to read it later this summer because I definitely need to be more educated on all aspects of how ingrained racism is in our society.

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About RaceThen I got Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge. This is another book discussing systematic racism but this has a focus on Britain. I've actually been wanting to read it for a while but finally got the push I needed to buy it. As someone who wants to study in Britain for my masters and hopefully get a job there after graduating, I know that I need to learn about how systematic racism presents itself in the country I want to live in.

Archenemies (Renegades, #2)The next book I got was through a trade so I didn't end up paying anything for it which was nice. That book was Archenemies by Marissa Meyer, the sequel to Renegades. I'm planning on binging this trilogy in July and I'm really excited to have the first two books already!

Rage and Ruin (The Harbinger, #2)Then I picked up a copy of Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout. More accurately, I preordered it months ago and was so caught up with class that I forgot I had it ordered until I got the shipping notification. Either way, this cover is absolutely stunning, especially put side-by-side with the first book, and I'm very excited to read this series!

Dear Martin (Dear Martin, #1)Up next I picked up a copy of Dear Martin by Nic Stone. This is one that's been on my radar but I never bought it. It was on sale in June and I knew that a lot of people had recommended it for fiction by Black authors and so I decided to pick it up. I also ended up being so intrigued that I started reading it the day I got it and finished it the next!

Then I got my UK preorder of The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty. The UK editions are absolutely stunning and I'm so excited to have this edition for my collection. I cannot wait until I have shelves again and can display these books properly! I also got my preorder for the US hardcover of The Empire of Gold as well! Both editions are stunning and I am so excited to have them.

The Empire of Gold (The Daevabad Trilogy, #3) The Empire of Gold (Daevabad Trilogy, #3)

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in AmericaLastly, I picked up a copy of Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi. I am going to be doing a lot of reading for education this summer on systematic racism, but I also think that it's important I learn the history of how it all started and how we got to the point we're at. I've heard a lot of praise for this book and I'm definitely hoping to at least get a good chunk of it read in July (since it is 600+ pages!).



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Wednesday, July 1, 2020

June 2020 Wrap-Up


Hello everyone! Today I'm here to wrap up the month of June. I can't believe we're already halfway through the year, though I can't say that I'm not grateful for it. I think I'll be even more grateful when it's next year and the next six months are over. That being said, in June I took a remote summer class that I'm actually finishing up later today. Because of my class, I didn't get to read as many books as I'd hoped. I did get through 7 books this month and 3 of those were for my class specifically. Hopefully July will be filled with more reading!  



BOOKS READ

1. 
Title: New Moon
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review
-reread-
New Moon (Twilight, #2)

2.
Title: Eclipse
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
Review
-reread-
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

3.
Title: The Girls
Author: Emma Cline
Rating: n/a--read for class
Review
The Girls by Emma Cline

4.
Title: The Storm Crow 
Author: Kalyn Josephson
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
Review
The Storm Crow (The Storm Crow, #1)

5.
Title: Dear Martin
Author: Nic Stone
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
Review TK
Dear Martin (Dear Martin, #1)
I've been wanting to read this for a while now and when it went on sale I figured that I would pick it up finally. It's a really short read but with a complete, in-depth story. I thought that this book did a really good job of addressing police brutality and racism in a way that will be accessible to younger readers. Additionally, I really liked how it addressed racism in school because a lot of people my age and younger only think of racism as something old white people do but that's not the case. While this book does cover these tough issues, the author doesn't sacrifice the plot, characters, or relationships for it. Overall, I really liked Justyce and thought that this was a powerful and well-rounded read. I look forward to the sequel coming later this year and to reading some of Nic Stone's other works while I wait. 

6.
Title: Girl, Interrupted
Author: Susanna Kaysen
Rating: n/a--read for school
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
This was an interesting memoir that followed a teenage girl in a mental hospital back in the late 1960's. I thought it was an interesting read told in a unique way. I don't think I'll read it again since I feel that I learned what I could from it already but I am interested in seeing the movie (starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie) to see how they adapted it.

7.
Title: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Author: Ann Brashares
Rating: n/a--read for class
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
This is a book that a lot of people my age read when they were a lot younger. It's also one that I struggled a bit with reading. I think I would have absolutely adored this in late-elementary into middle school. However, I did have a lot of moments while reading it where I was shaking my head or groaning at the characters and their actions. Maybe it's a signal that I'm a semi-adult now since I'm not approving of what the characters are doing half the time.  I'm somewhat interested in seeing what happens in the next book, so I might see if I can borrow it from my library. 



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