Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Cress Tuesday #75

WINTER! The cover is finally here :D And my gosh. It is so pretty. <3 See the full size version here. So perfect. And the summary is so amazing too. Love it! I cannot wait to read these 800 pages. <3 I'm so excited. I know that Winter will be amazing. <3 Because I really loved Cinder, Scarlet, Cress & Fairest. I also cannot wait for all the other upcoming books by Marissa; especially Heartless :D So excited for everything that she writes. I will be re-reading these books pretty soon, I think, because I have waited more than long enough already. Ack. And I love them so much. Just wishing it was November already. Sigh. Waiting for Winter has taken forever, but I know the wait will be worth it. I'm thinking about doing these teasers until November. We'll see :D I love sharing them. I hope you are all enjoying these small and awesome teasers from Cress :) See all the previous Cress Tuesdays here. <3 Have you read it yet?


~

Maybe her hesitation was because, if she were honest with herself, she was still a little afraid of Wolf. When he was happy and flirtatious and, at times, adorably awkward, it was easy to forget 

that there was another side to him. But Scarlet had seen him fight too many times to forget. 
Not like the restrained brawls he and Cinder had, but fights where he could ruthlessly snap a 
man's neck, or tear an opponent's flesh from his bones using nothing but his own sharp teeth. 
The memories still made her shudder.

~


 Aw. I just wish there will be lots of Scarlet and Wolf in Winter. <3

Huge thank you to Marissa Meyer and Macmillan Kids for letting me share these gorgeous Cress Tuesday teasers with you all. <3 They are the bestest. Thank you so much. I hope you are all loving the teasers :D I know that I am loving finding them and sharing them with you all. If you haven’t yet read Cress, I hope these teasers are making you more excited about it. <3 I’m sharing all these teasers from my stunning hardcover of Cress. Well, from one of my copies. I might be owning a whole bunch of them :D

Monday, March 30, 2015

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

Oh, the precious. I do think I love this book even more than I loved The Golden Compass. Because there is Will. And Lyra is growing so much. And so much happens. So much heartbreak. Sniffs. And lots of amazing things too. Sigh. I loved reading this book for the third time. <3 And I cannot wait to read it again.

The beauty of the illustrations in this special Folio edition is killing me a little. They are all so beautiful. Though still too few of them, hmph. But that's okay. Because the cover is also all kinds of gorgeous. And I love them all so much. They made reading these books even better. Because they are so beautiful.

I will not be talking that much about The Subtle Knife. Because my heart is hurting. And I don't have a lot to say about it. Mostly just that I loved this book to pieces. I loved how amazing Lyra is. Her relationship with her dæmon, Pan. How awesome that is. I loved getting to know twelve year old Will. Whom is just the most amazing child. Whom I might be crushing on, which might be a bit weird, but damn. He is more amazing than all the other male characters I have read about. Because Will is fierce. He is loving. He is protective. He is sensitive. And so damn brave. Will is the best person. And I loved reading about him and Lyra meeting and then getting to know each other. I just adore them together. They are both the most amazing characters.

Though, well, this book is really way too short. Yet it took me forever to read it. But still too short. And not all of it is told from Will and Lyra. There are a bunch of other awesome characters we have to hear from too. And while that bothered me a little bit, as I want to read about Will and Lyra at all times, I also didn't mind that much. Because I love Lee. And I really enjoyed reading about the other characters too. They also made the story even better. Though most of the point of views were heartbreaking. Ack.

I can't begin to talk about how special this book is. Mostly because of Will and Lyra. And getting to read about them meeting in a different world. And seeing things about this world. The creepy spectres. The oh so creepy children too. This new world was amazing to read about. And I loved reading about Will and Lyra seeing it. Sigh. There is just so much to love in this book. So much happens. And I just. I could read about Will and Lyra forever. Wishing there will be more books about them together. There must be.

I really should say more about The Subtle Knife. But I can't. I don't want to talk about all the things that happens. Just that every single moment is amazing. Getting to know Will. Getting to know how much he loves his mom. Getting to see him search for his father. Sobs. Getting to see all his heartbreak. And getting to know the subtle knife as well. Sigh. This book is just all kinds of perfect. And reading it for the third time was super special to me. I just love this world like crazy. This book is just so amazing.

I really cannot tell you enough how special this trilogy is to me. You all need to read these books. And if you have read them, then you need to re-read them. Because reading them again just makes me love them more. And I want everyone to feel the same. Because oh. These books are so special. They are so different. They are so beautiful. Truly the most amazing characters that have been written. And the story is so exciting. You will not get enough of these books. You will want more. Like I do. Read them.


 
My collection of all things Philip Pullman, so far. <3

Sunday, March 29, 2015

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Even if I talked forever, I would never be able to share all of my love for this book. Because oh. I love these books by Philip Pullman so much. They mean the world to me. I might love Will the most, and he isn't in this book, but I still love this book so extremely much. Mostly because of Lyra. Whom I love so much.

This is my third time reading this book. And I'm never going to stop loving it. It is so special to me. It's one of the best books. This trilogy means so much to me. If you all haven't read and loved these books yet I'm very disappointed in you. Hmph. Do it. Because these books have the best characters. And best story.

As I have already written two long reviews of this book already, I won't be talking about all the things this third time. Because I will most likely just repeat myself, hah. But I do want to share some things. Like how much I love this book. And how, even though I re-read them in August, I could not wait any longer to read them a third time. Because Lyra and Will are always in my heart and thoughts. I doubt I will ever stop thinking about them. Sigh. Anyway. This time I'm reading the very special Folio Society editions of the trilogy. They are expensive. And the most gorgeous. The books are huge. And there is the most gorgeous illustrations outside and inside. Not as many as I would have liked, but still gorgeous drawings. Sigh. I loved them.

The Golden Compass is such a special book. And I cannot even begin to talk about all the things that happen in it. Because there is so much going on at all times. It is the story of eleven year old Lyra. Whom I adored from the very beginning. Though she do a lot of growing in this book, from a wild child to more honest and brave and strong and older. She is just. Lyra is the most amazing little girl. And I love her fiercely. I really loved getting to know her in this book. And we do get to know her. So, so much.

This is an epic fantasy book. And I love that to pieces. It is set in a world a bit different than ours, with every human having a dæmon. And I shall not describe all of that. Just. I want my own dæmon. My own little piece of my soul and heart. It sounds so amazing and adorable and just the bestest thing. And I love how Philip has created this book. How special it all is. How everything makes sense, despite it also being so different. And just. Yeah. I really love this book. I love every single thing about it. It's the best.

There is also these very awesome panserbjørne in this book. Armoured bears. Like Iorek. Whom I love so much. He's just all kinds of amazing and I loved reading about him and Lyra becoming friends so much. Sigh. This book is so special. There are witches. And I pretty much adore those too. Then there are all the bad people, who do such awful things. Like the Gobblers. Shudders. I cried so much when reading about the boy with the fish. Sobs. Still the most heartbreaking scene in this book. So sad.

I'm not going to say much more about this book. Just that it feels so long to read, yet not long enough. And every moment is exciting. Every moment of this book is amazing. Every moment is worth re-reading a whole bunch of times. Because the writing is so beautiful. The characters are stunning. The story is so exciting and interesting. There is so much happening. And everything is fantastic to read about. I couldn't have loved this book more. Okay, I love the next ones more, but this one is amazing.

I would also like to mention that I really adore the author, Philip Pullman. He is so kind and awesome. He have answered some of my twitter questions, which means the world to me. And then I sent him a letter back in September, which he responded to a month ago, and it meant the world to me. It is still the most precious thing I own. He answered some of my questions so amazingly. Sigh. Yeah. He is awesome. And I love his books so much. Now I'm dying for him to finish writing The Book of Dust :D Soon, I hope.


 
My collection of all things Philip Pullman, so far. <3

Saturday, March 28, 2015

In My Mailbox #178

I was planning on reading more this week. That didn't happen. Hmph. But I did read two books, and I'm happy with that. Plus, I'm going to start re-reading His Dark Materials today :D And I cannot wait. It will be so awesome. Sigh. These books are the best. I was on my third Tromsø trip yesterday, to get my x-ray. Glad to have it done. Though it will take about two weeks to get the results, sigh. Then I must wait for surgery. I don't want to wait more, so tired of being in a shitty mood and being sick. Hoping the time will go fast. Other than that I have had a good week; got some awesome mail; lots of pre-orders only :) Didn't have many blog posts this week, though. Ack. But four isn't that little. Maybe? Anyway. I read The Uninvited. <3 Which I really, really loved. Then I shared another Cress Tuesday. And I read The Jumbies, which I didn't like. I'm waiting on Daughter of Dusk this week :D Still waiting on some mail that I'm really excited about. Soon, hopefully. <3 Also, I want more lego as well. What did you get this week?



Shadow Scale. Another gorgeous edition that I didn't own yet; UK hardcover. <3 It is so big. Ack. And so damn gorgeous. Was to get a paperback.. instead got another US hardcover :( I now have 3. Ack.
The Walls Around Us. I really loved this book many months ago. And it is so damn pretty. I love it :D
The Fault in Our Stars. I supported this thing back in December to get this book :) It is pretty gorgeous.
Big Hero 6. I must have all the books that involves this gorgeous movie. <3 This manga is awesome.
Unremembered Poster. Eeek! Thank you so much Jessica. <3 This poster is all kinds of gorgeous. Love.



Frozen. This poster collection thingy is all kinds of gorgeous. The posters are so pretty. I needed it :)
Frost. Oh! And I got this Norwegian edition of the Frozen songs. Ack. I just really wanted to own it.
The Hobbit. Yay for getting more lego :D I want all of it. But expensive. But buying it all soooonish.
HTTYD 2 + Divergent. You know.. I need to own all the movies on DVD, though I never watch those.
Thor. I have always wanted to own my very own small Thor. So I had to buy him, hih. He's so pretty.
Baymax. Yay for making my Big Hero 6 collection grow bigger :D He is pretty adorable. I love Baymax.
Bukowski. I need all the plushes from this brand. He is so cute! He also have wings. Oh. I love him.
Hair Flowers. Okay, I should probably not share about this, but it was so gorgeous :D And I love it so.



Witch Hunter. Big thank you to Orchard Books (UK publisher) for accepting my request on Netgalley to read and review this book. <3 I shall be reading it soonish, I think :D As I'm pretty excited about it.
Fish. This fish is all kinds of gorgeous. And expensive. Figured I needed some "pretty" decorations :)
Skull. This skull was pretty awesome too, and I have wanted it for a long time. So I just had to buy it :D


More Instagram photos here. <3

Giveaways happening on my blog right now:
Hardcover of Blue Birds by Caroline Starr Rose. US. Ends 04/01.
Two hardcovers of Shadow Scale. US/Canada. Ends 04/02.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday #180

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

DAUGHTER OF DUSK (Midnight Thief #2) 
BY LIVIA BLACKBURNE

Goodreads Description:

After learning the truth about her bloodlines, Kyra can’t help but feel like a monster.

Though she’s formed a tentative alliance with the Palace, Kyra must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted like the rest of her Demon Rider kin. Tristam and the imprisoned assassin James are among the few who know about her heritage, but when Tristam reveals a heartbreaking secret of his own, Kyra’s not sure she can trust him. And with James’s fate in the hands of the palace, Kyra fears that he will give her away to save himself.

As tensions rise within Forge's Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies: will she be able to use her link to the Demon Riders for good, or will her Makvani blood prove to be deadly?

In this spellbinding sequel to Midnight Thief, Kyra and Tristam face their biggest battle yet as they grapple with changing allegiances, shocking deceit, and vengeful opponents.


Hardcover, 384 pages
Expected publication: August 4th 2015 by Disney Hyperion
Pre-Order here and here.

I am so excited about this book :D I really enjoyed book one, Midnight Thief. <3 And I think Daughter of Dusk sounds all kinds of amazing. And the cover is so pretty :D I love love love it. Cannot wait to own this book in a few months. <3 I just.. I hope there won't be too much relationship drama, as I can't stand drama like that in books! There will probably be some, as most book these days do :( But, I'm crossing my fingers that there won't be, since I don't know. <3 I just. I really liked the romance in book one, though there was way too little, so I'm hoping there will be more amazing romance in this one :)
What are you waiting for on this spellbinding Wednesday?

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Review: The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste

When I first saw this cover I knew I had to read this book. I also found the summary to be pretty exciting. And then I got it from Netgalley many, many months ago. But I never felt like starting it. Then yesterday I finally did. I wish I could say I really enjoyed this book. But, sadly, I did not love it. But I did like it. A little.

Okay, I sort of liked this book. But it is still only a two star for me. Because I did not like it that much. I think most of that is because of the writing. It isn't fully bad, but I never connected to the characters. I didn't care about Corinne at all. Sad face. I didn't feel scared or excited, like I was probably supposed to.

I won't be saying too much about this book, as it is only over two hundred pages, and not long pages either, so this book is really short. I wish I could say that it was exciting. But for me, it wasn't. I guess I could see how some might enjoy it, but I didn't. It was too little for me. Or, trying for too much. The jumbies in this book weren't creepy. They didn't make me care. And that is so depressing. Because this book sounded really awesome. Sigh. But then it wasn't. It was sort of silly, really. I didn't care for Corinne. Or her father. Or those new friends she gets. I sort of like the two brothers, but didn't feel too much about them either. I didn't like Dru much either. Sigh. Wishing this had been better. I just ended up not liking it much at all.

This book is about eleven year old Corinne. And about the beautiful woman who suddenly shoves up from the forest, trying to take over her dad. This woman is a jumbie. This creature thingy of the forest. She can do magic and such. She takes Corinne's dad away from her. I wish I could say it was exciting to read about. But I didn't care. It wasn't written well enough for me. I didn't feel anything for Corinne, and I didn't care that her father wasn't there with her anymore. Hmph. It makes me sad. I wanted to love it.

I really did want to love The Jumbies. Because the cover is so beautiful. Because it sounded like a different and exciting middle grade book. But then I started it, and I knew it wasn't for me. I usually love books like this one. So I'm not sure why I had issues with this. Hmph. But yeah. The writing wasn't that good. I didn't connect with the characters. I didn't like Corinne or her friends. What I did like was the oranges. And I sort of liked their village. But I just. I didn't think the plot was exciting at all. Sigh.

I don't feel like talking about this book, which might be a first for me. So just saying a little bit more. The plot in this book. It is about Corinne trying to get rid of this woman. And I just. I found it to be so silly. Though I mostly did not like this book, I did enjoy a few things, which is why it is a two star. And either way, I did not hate this book. It isn't the best, nor the worst. But it is a book that I will soon forget. Which makes me so sad, as I wanted this to be a favorite. Oh, well. Not everything is perfect.

Big thank you to the publisher, Algonquin Young Readers, for approving my request to read and review this book via Netgalley. <3 I'm glad that I got to read it. But also so sad that I did not love it. I wish I could have enjoyed this book, but it just ended up not being for me. I'm not sure if others will enjoy it. Though I do think that many kids might end up loving it. I usually love middle grade books, but this one just wasn't for me. Which is so depressing, since the cover is so gorgeous. Hmph. But it is what it is :)


Cress Tuesday #74

WINTER! The cover is finally here :D And my gosh. It is so pretty. <3 See the full size version here. So perfect. And the summary is so amazing too. Love it! I cannot wait to read these 800 pages. <3 I'm so excited. I know that Winter will be amazing. <3 Because I really loved Cinder, Scarlet, Cress & Fairest. I also cannot wait for all the other upcoming books by Marissa; especially Heartless :D So excited for everything that she writes. I will be re-reading these books pretty soon, I think, because I have waited more than long enough already. Ack. And I love them so much. Just wishing it was November already. Sigh. Waiting for Winter has taken forever, but I know the wait will be worth it. I'm thinking about doing these teasers until November. We'll see :D I love sharing them. I hope you are all enjoying these small and awesome teasers from Cress :) See all the previous Cress Tuesdays here. <3 Have you read it yet?


~

T
horne guffawed. "Oh, no, no, I didn't want the escort for me. I thought she'd make a nice gift." A silence followed and he was sure he could picture the skepticism on Jamal's face, despite having no idea what Jamal looked like. "She was for this android. . .spaceship. . .friend of mine. It's complicated." 
"It always is." Jamal clinked their glasses together. "I get it, though. You get your hands on an 
escort-droid, all the while keeping everyone's attention away from the true prize upstairs. You 
do seem like the protective sort." Thorne's instincts hummed at something in Jamal's tone. 
"Well. I am a lucky man."

~


 Hah. Watching Thorne in this book was all kinds of interesting :)
I loved that he was looking for an escort for Iko, though.


Huge thank you to Marissa Meyer and Macmillan Kids for letting me share these gorgeous Cress Tuesday teasers with you all. <3 They are the bestest. Thank you so much. I hope you are all loving the teasers :D I know that I am loving finding them and sharing them with you all. If you haven’t yet read Cress, I hope these teasers are making you more excited about it. <3 I’m sharing all these teasers from my stunning hardcover of Cress. Well, from one of my copies. I might be owning a whole bunch of them :D

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Review: The Uninvited by Cat Winters

Oh my gosh. I loved this book so much. I knew I would, as I have adored Cat Winters for ages. Her first two books, In the Shadow of Blackbirds and The Cure for Dreaming were all kinds of amazing. I knew I would love The Uninvited. And I'm so glad that I ended up doing so. This book is special to me.I loved it.

I cannot begin to thank Cat enough for sending me a print ARC of this precious book. <3 It means the world to me. And it will be so special for me, always. Because oh. I loved this book so much. More than I thought I would. The writing is, as always, gorgeous. And the characters. Sigh. They were all amazing.

I don't read adult books. But this was a book by Cat. And the main girl is just twenty five. And I knew had to read it. Because, yeah, new Cat Winters book. And I'm so glad that I read it. Because damn. So good. And yes, it is adult, which I loved to pieces, but it is just as amazing as her young adult books. I will read whatever genre she writes. I can't even begin to describe how much I loved The Uninvited. But I will try my best to do so. I won't be sharing any spoilers, but I will share some things about the book, about why I loved this book so much. Why it is so special to me. Why you all need to read it. I worried for a small moment that I wouldn't fully love this, but then I couldn't stop reading. And now it is a favorite of mine.

The Uninvited takes place in 1918. Which is a year I'm starting to love reading about. And I love so much that Cat is writing so many books from this time. It's amazing. In this book we see more of the spanish influenza, and gosh. It is still so creepy and kind of disgusting and it killed so many people. And yeah. So awful. Yet I really loved reading about it. And Cat writes it so well. I loved reading about all the gorgeous Jazz music too. It was so special and the songs were awesome. So different too. Loved it.

Some parts of this book is also talk about the war with Germany. And how people in America treated people from Germany. It was so depressing. And so exciting. The plot in this book is different. And exciting. And I loved reading every moment of it. Especially once the characters fit into this story. There is so much to love about this book. Like the ambulance driving. With Addie and Nela. Which were two girls I really liked reading about. They seemed like awesome friends for Ivy to have. Really liked them.

This book is told from the point of view of twenty five year old Ivy. Whom I grew to love so much. She is all kinds of amazing. At first she seemed a lot of shy, and sort of like she just went along with things, but then I saw her differently. And she is all kinds of strong and fierce. Such an amazing main character. I really enjoyed seeing her family life too. Because this book starts with a murder. That her father and brother committed. And Ivy is finally leaving her home. Her fathers sucks. But I loved her mom. Mostly.

I really loved reading about Ivy. About her finding her place in this town, after having left her family. About her meeting May, and becoming friends with her. I really liked reading about her too. I loved reading about Ivy listening to awesome Jazz music. I loved reading about her meeting Daniel, the German brother of the man killed. About her trying to make up for the murder. About them growing closer. And oh. It was all so beautiful and so heartbreaking. Such a stunning story. Loved it so much.

The romance. Sigh. How do I begin to talk about the romance in this book? It is so amazing. And different than all the others I have read. Yet even more amazing than all the romances I have read before. Ivy and Daniel in this book are so precious. They are so sweet together. Though they start in an unusual way. And they might not seem that good for each other. But they are. And the romance is perfection. And I loved every scene between them. Swoon. It is so awesome. Just. Damn. So much love.

The Uninvited is a special book. It is all kinds of perfect. This book has the most shocking twist and I loved it even more because of it. The romance is stunning. And different. And every part of it was beautiful. The ending is awesome. Yet I do wish this book never ended. I cannot wait to re-read it. This book will always be special to me. I know, I haven't shared much about it, but I can't :D It is too good. And you all need to read it. The Uninvited is a masterpiece. One that will never be forgotten. Loved it.

I must say something. When you read this book, you must not peek at the ending. I peeked, but I did not peek well enough, hah, like always. But now, when I got to the ending, I see that it can spoil something huge for you guys. And yeah. Do not peek at the ending. Because the twist in this book? It is huuuge. And I did not see it coming at all. And it was spectacular. And so different! I didn't see it coming. It broke my heart. Yet it was so perfect. But yes. You do not want to know before starting :)

The Uninvited doesn't come out until August 11th, but I suggest that you all pre-order it right away. Because you do not want to miss this book. It is perfection. And Cat Winters is amazing. She is so kind and awesome. If you still haven't read her first two YA books, then get going. They are so creepy and amazing and so good. I need you all to read these books. The Uninvited is her best book yet. And I can't wait for you all to read it too. Right now I'm just dying to read more books by Cat. <3 I'm so excited.


Saturday, March 21, 2015

In My Mailbox #177

I'm unsure about this week. I got some aaaaamazing mail, and it means the world to me. <3 But my health has been so crappy. I just want to feel better. But it doesn't seem to be happening. Sigh. But enough about that. I watched Cinderella last night, and it was pretty amazing :) I loved it. AND THEN! Frozen Fever! Yeah. It was pretty adorable. I loved it. So excited that there will be another long movie, hih. <3 Soon seeing Insurgent, though I am not excited about it :p Only read two books this week, but I'm happy with that. One of them took me three days, so it felt like much more, hah :p This week I read The Novice. Which I did not like. Sigh. Then I shared another Cress Tuesday. <3 I'm waiting on The Last Good Day of the Year. Then I read Black Dove, White Raven. <3 It was a bit meh. And then I shared the gorgeous cover for Winter :D Perfection! So so gorgeous. Sigh. I love it. I'm happy about this week, but yeah, health sucks and I just hate it so much. Sniffs. Well. I'm reading The Uninvited next :D Then I'm looking at all my ARCs. So much to read, so little time. But perfect :) What did you get this week? <3



A Darker Shade of Magic. Huuuge thank you to Leah at Tor Books for sending this gorgeous book to me. <3 I cannot wait to read it :D Soon! And first edition! Swoon. I love this cover so much. So happy :)
This is Not a Test. My precious! Thank you so much Courtney. <3 I won this gorgeous from her :) Love.
The Orphan Queen. Signed pre-order from Books of Wonder. <3 PERFECT. All the swag! So much love :)
The Uninvited. Thank you so so much Cat. <3 Lots of love and hugs. Dying to read this book :D Excited!
Big Hero 6. Yay! These pretties finally arrived today. They are both gorgeous. This movie is awesome.


Orange is the New Black. This was on sale, and I wanted it, because many love this series :) Curious.
Heroes. I remember watching and liking season one. Soon trying to watch all four seasons of this ;p
Transformers. I wanted to watch these. Soon! Cheap. But.. had forgotten that I had won nr 4 :( Have 2.
Annabelle. I really liked The Conjuring. And I'm curious about this movie. Just really hoping it is good.
Percy Jackson. I only got this because it was cheap. And I love the books. Shall not watch these, hah.
Under the Dome. This was on sale too, and I am so curious about this show. So I'm hoping to love it :D
Fantasia 2000. Eeek. The last Disney Classic that I missed having in Blu-ray. <3 Well, a few of the first classics doesn't exist in blu-ray yet. Hmph. How mean. But I own those on DVD. This one is pretty :)
The Monuments Men. I bought this because it was really cheap. And it do look pretty good. I hope so :)
Taylor Swift 1989 DLX. Precious Canada Target version. <3 More cards :D Now missing 3 packs of them.
Big Hero 6. Another awesome figure from this perfect movie. Fred is awesome :) Getting the rest too.
Toys. Well. These were cheap, and I had hoped to get different figures, but happy with them too :) Cute.
Panserbjørn. This is my very own Iorek from His Dark Materials. <3 I had to buy him. So gorgeous. 



Signed books. <3 Oh my gosh. MY PRECIOUS. Seriously. Such an awesome part of my life. <3 Signed and personalized books means the world to me. And these are so perfect! And I love these three authors to pieces. Sigh. So happy about these signed books. <3 They are so special to me. Sniffs. So so perfect.




Hidden Huntress. I got accepted to read this via Netgalley. <3 So happy about that. Now I shall be reading Stolen Songbird soon, I think :) I'm excited. Yet a bit sad, as I did some peeking at this sequel, and one thing is bothering me. Hmph. Still, curious about these books :) Have you read them? I'm excited.








This week I also got rid of my old couch. Which was huge. But comfortable. Though I wasn't able to sit in it much, because of cat hair, and the nintendo wii u, and the tv being in the way. Hmph. But. It was also too big to get down the stairs; I got it inside through the window, but couldn't do that now. So grandpa had to murder it. Ack. So it ended up pretty dead. Sad face. As it was so expensive. Sigh. But I have had it for two years.. so not fully a waste? Maybe. Either way, I got a new one, much smaller, as you see. And not that good to sit it, hmph, but it is most for my sister and nephew :) As I sit in my awesome chair, hah. But I like this new couch. My place now looks a whole lot bigger. And I like the way it looks. So I'm pleased with it :) Also, see the old couch here. Somewhere. Wait. See the old couch below. Sharing a photo of that one too, hih. It was so big o.O What do you think? :) New cat place too.




More Instagram photos here. <3

Giveaways happening:
Hardcover of Blue Birds by Caroline Starr Rose. US. Ends 04/01.
Two hardcovers of Shadow Scale. US/Canada. Ends 04/02.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Cover Reveal: Winter by Marissa Meyer

I am SO EXCITED about this book cover. <3 I have waited forever for it, lol. And it is gorgeous. Well, a bit different that what I had hoped for, but I still love it. I do think it will look all kinds of stunning in person. I cannot wait for November 10th to arrive. Though it feels like forever way, sigh, since it's been so long since the first time I read Cinder.. hmm. I shall re-read Cinder, Scarlet & Cress very shortly I think. I need to re-read these books. And re-read more of my Kai, hih. <3 These books are just all kinds of perfection. So exciting and interesting and different and perfect. I cannot wait to read Winter. I'm sure it will be just as amazing; hopefully even more so :D The cover was revealed at USA Today, with an amazing short excerpt from the book. And I love it to pieces. My Scarlet. Sobs. And more about Winter, whom I'm already loving. Oh, how I want this book. I want it right now. Also, Marissa is so very amazing. I cannot wait to read everything she writes :) I want Winter now. If you haven't read these books yet, GET GOING! They are perfect. And everyone should read them. Oh! I keep forgetting to mention. This book will be 800 pages long. SO LONG. And amazing. I can't wait. What do you think of this cover? <3


Here is the stunning conclusion to the national bestselling Lunar Chronicles, inspired by Snow White.

When Princess Winter was thirteen, the rumor around the Lunar court was that her glamour would soon be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana. In a fit of jealousy, Levana disfigured Winter. Four years later, Winter has sworn off the use of her glamour altogether. Despite her scars, Winter’s natural beauty, her grace, and her gentleness are winning admiration from the Lunar people that no amount of mind-control could achieve.

Winter despises her stepmother, but has never dreamed of standing up to her. That is, until she realizes that she may be the only one with the power to confront the queen.

Can Cinder, Prince Kai, Scarlet, Wolf, Cress, Thorne, Princess Winter, and the palace guard Jacin find their happily ever afters? Fans will LOVE this amazing conclusion to the series.


Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Review: Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein

When I read Code Name Verity I really enjoyed it. Then I read Rose Under Fire and I really loved that one. So I was really excited about reading Black Dove, White Raven :) But oh. I wasn't in love with this book. And that breaks my heart. I had some issues with it. Though I did enjoy it a whole lot. Mostly.

It took me months to start this book, as I got accepted for it on Netgalley a long time ago. But I was nervous, as I had peeked at the writing, and wasn't sure I would like it. And. Well. It is written in a weird way, everything like a journal. But I grew to love it. It ended up being pretty awesome. It's good writing.

But then there is the story. I expected that this book would be full of exciting things like the first two war books by Elizabeth. But it wasn't. And that disappointed me so much. And oh, it took me three days to read this book. That is not normal for me. But it was just so slow to read. And I was so bored, because nothing ever happened. I kept waiting for the amazing and exciting to come, but it never did. And I'm still so sad about that. Sigh. But I'm still giving this book a three star, because I found the writing to be beautiful, and I did love the characters a whole lot. I did like the story. I just expected to much more. This book was too boring for me. Sad face. But at the same time, I did like the story too. But yes, wishing it had been more exciting.

I don't feel like saying too many things about this book. As I'm not the best at remembering all the names. Because damn. There is a whole lot of different names in this book, and so many of them I do not remember at all. Much less how to spell them. Ugh. Wishing names were easier, hah. But I did like that there were a lot of characters in this book. Though I only really cared for Em and Teo and their friend who was pregnant then got a child. I liked her a lot. But just.. I didn't feel much for this book.

Which reminds me. I'm disappointed in this book because it was so boring. Because nothing brutal really happened. There aren't many deaths. No personal deaths. No torture. No pain. No kissing, no feelings, no romance. It was all so.. tame. And I don't do tame books. Not my thing. Sigh. Wanted there to be more. But there wasn't. I didn't even like the ending, because it was pretty sudden, and there should have been a whole lot more included before it ended. Hmph. So yes. Not pleased about the ending.

I'm not sure what to say that this book is about. Because I don't really know what the meaning of it was. Sure, some things were kind of sad, not for me, but still. It is about Em and Teo. She is white, he is black. Their mothers are soulmates. Then his mom die. And god, how I hated Em's mom for how she shut down after that, and didn't take care of them. Which happened early, for a short moment, and I never grew to like their mom. Hmph. Might be because of how it was written. I'm not fully sure.

A lot of this book is about being a pilot. Their Momma flies a small plane. They get to learn once they are a bit older. And while I thought it was kind of good to read about, I also got bored so damn fast. Which was sad to me. Sigh. Then there is about the war in Ethiopia and how it affects them. I liked reading about them living there, and the things they did. But it was also so boring. Even the war was boring. Which I don't get how it could be boring. Just. I wanted more. More details. More everything.

I don't feel like talking more about the plot. It was disappointing and I wanted so much more. Hmph. But this book is about the characters. And how awesome Em and Teo are as siblings. I did love that. But also too little of it. And oh. I did like Teo a whole lot. But he was so boring too. Ugh. Then there is Em. And my god. I could have loved her so much. SO MUCH. But this book isn't focused on her. And I sort of hated that. I wanted so much more of her. Of her doing things. Of her meeting someone. Or anything. Sniffs.

Well. I feel like I have only said negative things about this book. Ack. Yet I'm rating it three stars. But yeah. It just. It annoyed me a bit, and I wanted so much more, but I also did enjoy it. I did think the story was interesting. And I did like the characters. Just. Yeah. This is a low three star, I think. Black Dove, White Raven could have been so much better. Yet I did like it. The story is kind of sweet and good. But not good enough for me. Yes, I'm saying this a lot, but seriously. I expected so much more.

Huge thank you to the publisher, Disney-Hyperion, for accepting my request to read this book on Netgalley. <3 I'm glad I got to read it a little bit early, and I am excited about getting my pre-ordered hardcover later this month. I'm sorry that I didn't enjoy this book more. But yeah. Not fully a book for me. Sigh. But I'm also happy that I did like it, because the characters were pretty awesome. Just wanted more. It makes me sad. But I do think you should all read this book. Curious to see what you think :)


Waiting on Wednesday #179

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

THE LAST GOOD DAY OF THE YEAR BY JESSICA WARMAN

Goodreads Description:

A new powerful thriller from the globally-embraced author of Between.

Ten years ago, in the early hours of New Year’s Day, seven-year-old Samantha and her next door neighbor, Remy, watched as a man broke into Sam’s home and took her younger sister, Turtle, from her sleeping bag. Remy and Sam, too afraid to intervene at the time, later identified the man as Sam’s sister Gretchen’s much older ex-boyfriend, Steven, who was sent to prison for Turtle’s murder.

Now, Sam’s shattered family is returning to her childhood home in an effort to heal. As long-buried memories begin to surface, Sam wonders if she and Remy accurately registered everything they saw. The more they re-examine the events of that fateful night, the more questions they discover about what really happened to Turtle.

Master storyteller Jessica Warman keeps readers guessing in this arresting page-turner.


Hardcover, 288 pages
Expected publication: May 19th 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pre-Order here and here.

It's been a long time since I read Between by this author. But I did love it a lot back then. When I heard about this book a few months back, I knew I had to have it. The cover is gorgeous. And the summary is so amazing. And a bit creepy. And I think this book is going to be all kinds of amazing. Just waiting for May to get here. <3 Will be crossing all my fingers that I will love this book. I really want to. I hope so. Ohh! I have the eARC. <3 READING IT VERY SOON. I'm excited. And nervous. But hoping I will love it :)
What are you waiting for on this shattered Wednesday?