Saturday, December 31, 2016

Best Books of 2016

Today I'm finally sharing my best books of this year :D I read a whole bunch of amazing books. And I loved some of them so much. Not including every book that I loved this year, but sharing about a few of them. My favorites. Sort of in the right order. Maybe. I also read a whole bunch of awful books this year, which is depressing. Next year I will try my best to only read amazing books, haha. While I didn't get to read a hundred books this year, I still managed to read 86 :) And I am happy about that. I just wish that I had gotten to read even more. But my health said no. Oh, well. I still read a bunch, and hoping to read even more next year. Sadly, this year I didn't get to re-read all the books that I wanted to. I'm going to re-read them all next year. Eee. I'm excited. My Goodreads Challenge. My Goodreads Year in Books.

This year I had to DNF two books. I rated five books with one star. I rated thirteen books with two stars. I rated fifteen books with three stars. I rated nineteen books with four stars. I rated thirty four books with five stars. I'm pretty happy about that. Though, well. I didn't love nearly enough books this year. How rude. Next year I will read much more books that will be amazing. I hope. Crossing all my fingers. But either way, I have read some huge favorite books this year. And I love them all so, so much. Have you read any of these books yet? And did you love them too? :D What are your favorite books this year?



1. Nevernight. This book was everything I wanted and more. But that ending pretty much destroyed me.
2. The Winner's Kiss. I was so happy about this final book. Heartbreaking yet the most amazing. Loved.
3. Heartless. I really loved this one. Despite that gut wrenching ending. I will never forget about this book.


4. Foxheart. This middle grade book was so stunning. Such an amazing fantasy novel; lovely characters.
5. Some Kind of Happiness. This was all kinds of heartbreaking. I loved it to pieces. Such a great book.
6. The Forgetting. It surprised me how much I loved this book. I shall never forget it. It was so amazing.


7. Hunted. This retelling was everything I wanted and more. It just about killed me with perfection. Swoon.
8. Lady Midnight. I loved this one. So, so much. I just wish it hadn't destroyed me as much as it did. Ack.
9. Gemina. Such an amazing sequel. I could not help but fall in love with all of the characters. So good.


10. Stars Above. These short stories were just the best. I loved that epilogue beyond words. So amazing.
11. The Wish Granter. This book was all kinds of perfect. Dark and awesome. I loved it oh so much. Eee.
12. The Thickety: The Last Spell. This was the most amazing ending to a stunning series. It was perfect.


13. Three Dark Crowns. So glad that I loved this one so much. Despite that ending. Ahh. I need more.
14. Crooked Kingdom. Gosh, how I wish this series had more books. This final one was simply amazing.
15. Like a River Glorious. I cannot wait to read the third book. This sequel was so good and evil. Loved.


16. The Safest Lies. It was so exciting and thrilling. Wish it had been even longer. I simply loved this one.
17. Blood For Blood. This book just about killed me. I'm not over that ending. Hmph. But it was so good.
18. The Forbidden Wish. Pretty amazing book. I loved it a whole bunch. I'm wishing for a sequel for this.

HAPPY NEW YEAR :D

In My Mailbox #270

Happy almost New Year people :D This week have gone by sort of fast. I have been busy watching movies on the tv. And playing lots of Pokemon Go, which I still love the most. <3 I managed to read one book this year. And it was awful. Ugh. Only managed two posts this week, but will try to read more in the new year; which begins tomorrow :D Later today I will be sharing my best books of 2016. Ahh. I must admit that I didn't have the best Christmas. There was drama. And I'm not okay with it at all. Sigh. But trying to forget about it. I did get a few awesome presents. <3 And my family loved their presents too, so yay :) Plus, turkey dinner was the best. Eee. More turkey today :D And fireworks tonight. I'm excited. This week I'm waiting on The Pearl Thief :) And I posted my review of RoseBlood. Sadly, not that awesome :\ I didn't get all that much mail this week, but I did get some awesome stuff even so :D Happy with it all. <3 Might be getting an awesome package next week, which I'm excited about :) Hope you are all having some amazing final Christmas days. <3 I'm just hoping that 2017 will be amazing. That my health will be better too. That I will win the lottery, and finally get a big house of my own, lol :) Crossing all my fingers.



Wayfarer. Ohh, pre-order have arrived already :D Got it yesterday. Excited to read it soonish. So pretty.
The Amber Spyglass. Yay :D I now have all the three audiobooks. <3 Will listen to them one day. Love.
Foxheart. I adore this book. I couldn't resist asking for this one for Christmas :D Will listen to in one day.
Christmas Card. Yay! :D Thank you so much Mel. <3 You are the bestest. I love this card oh so much :)
The Falconer Swag. Eee :D Thank you so much Elizabeth. <3 I'm beyond happy with this swag. Sniffs.
Presents. I got that gorgeous polar bear in glass :D And ty owl plush, gorgeous. And a panther :D Love.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, December 30, 2016

Review: RoseBlood by A. G. Howard

I tried my best with this book. I really wanted to enjoy it. Because it looks gorgeous. And I do adore this author. And the summary sounded interesting, though I don't know this play. But my gosh. This book was awful. I had the most trouble just to finish reading it. Sort of regret not just quitting it. It wasn't really worth my time.

I don't even know where to begin with this book. I wish I could say that it was amazing. But it really wasn't. I had way too many issues with it. Plus side, there was no love triangle. There was no silly relationship drama. But that, sadly, did not mean that the book was good. Because it most certainly was not. It was awful.

I'm giving it two stars, though. Because while I mostly hated it, I still finished it, and I did like parts of the plot. I loved the tragic past of the main boy. Though I felt like the telling of his past was all wrong. Ugh. I liked some parts of the past of the girl. But most of her past was silly and overdone. I felt like the plot could have been amazing, had it been written differently. Because, oh gosh, this writing was the most awful thing I have read in a long time. Shudders. I thought the writing would be good. But it was not. I'm not sure how to talk about it, but yeah. The whole book was like a description. There was way too much words describing things. Words that were a bit too difficult as well. The writing made me lose focus so, so often. It was the worst thing. Ugh.

I'm not going to write too much about this book. Because I don't feel like it. And I don't think I have that much to say about it. But I do wish to share some things. Sadly not going to be very positive about this book, despite giving it two stars. I didn't hate it. I didn't like it much, though, either. I do wish I hadn't read it. But my gorgeous print ARC was begging to be read. And I couldn't resist this cover. But yeah. I do regret reading it. It wasn't worth my time at all. Which makes me sad. I wanted to love it. But I could not.

I wouldn't recommend reading this book at all. I know some will love it. Though, to be fully honest, I have no idea why anyone would love it. Sigh. The writing was beyond annoying. I couldn't get past it at any time. It bothered me on every single page. It was horrible. Which means that it took me forever to read as well, because I kept losing focus because of the writing. I have seen someone say this was her best book yet. And oh god. It bothers me so much. Cause I disliked it so much. Sigh. Would not read it again. Ever.

I'm trying to think about what to share. This book is about Rune. Who just had to move from her home in America to start a new school in France. A school about opera. I felt like the book focused a lot on the school, which I didn't like, yet it didn't focus much on the singing at all. Felt like it was written badly. Sigh. And, of course, since this is almost like high school, there are the two drama mean girls. And, seriously, I'm getting so, so tired about that in books. It's just childish and pretty pathetic too. They made no sense.

Most of this book was not for me. I don't even know the opera story thingy this was based on. I have sort of heard about it, but never any details or such. Yet I found that part of the plot sort of interesting. I liked reading about the basement in this school. I enjoyed getting to know Thorn, sort of. Boy was interesting. Until the romance happened. Ugh. It was goddamn awful. I can't deal with how bad the romance was. Twin souls, whatever. Feeling so much for each other, after one touch. Electric. Just, puke. So not good.

I'm not sure what else I wish to say about this book. So I would rather not talk about it. It could have been pretty good, had the writing been better, hadn't the romance been awful. But yeah. I cared nothing for the characters. At all. Romance sucked. Writing sucked. And the main girl wasn't written very well either. Did not like her. Sigh. And that ending. What. Climax was rushed. Then just ended. And book ended. It was badly done. I would not want a sequel either. Sigh. Thank you, though, Abrams, for this gorgeous ARC :)


Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday #272

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

THE PEARL THIEF BY ELIZABETH WEIN

Goodreads Description:

Before Verity . . . there was Julie.

When fifteen-year-old Julia Beaufort-Stuart wakes up in the hospital, she knows the lazy summer break she’d imagined won’t be exactly like she anticipated. And once she returns to her grandfather’s estate, a bit banged up but alive, she begins to realize that her injury might not have been an accident. One of her family’s employees is missing, and he disappeared on the very same day she landed in the hospital.

Desperate to figure out what happened, she befriends Euan McEwen, the Scots Traveller boy who found her when she was injured, and his standoffish sister Ellen. As Julie grows closer to this family, she experiences some of the prejudices they’ve grown used to firsthand, a stark contrast to her own upbringing, and finds herself exploring thrilling new experiences that have nothing to do with a missing-person investigation.

Her memory of that day returns to her in pieces, and when a body is discovered, her new friends are caught in the crosshairs of long-held biases about Travellers. Julie must get to the bottom of the mystery in order to keep them from being framed for the crime.

In the prequel to Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity, this exhilarating coming-of-age story returns to a beloved character just before she learned to fly.


Hardcover, 304 pages
Expected publication: May 2nd 2017 by Disney-Hyperion 
Pre-Order here and here

I can't decide if I'm going to be able to read this book or not. Considering I know how it ends for this character. And it isn't a happy ending at all. Sobs. Yet this book sounds so exciting even so :D And I did read three of her books. And enjoyed two of them. And gah. I'm pretty curious about this one. I think I will enjoy it. But I'm also nervous, because of what happens to this girl. Sigh. I'm already heartbroken. Hmph.
What are you waiting for on this historical Wednesday?

Saturday, December 24, 2016

In My Mailbox #269

Merry Christmas :D Today it is the 24th, and the day we celebrate Christmas. Will be eating turkey, eee. And opening presents sometime after 5pm. I'm so excited. Though I'm not getting many gifts. But I have bought a bunch for my family, and excited to see them all open them. I hope you are all having an amazing Christmas :) I have read two books this week! Yay :D I re-read Six of Crows and then read Crooked Kingdom. <3 It took me some time to read them both.. and, oh. I had read 200 pages of Six of Crows a week ago, lol, so just read over one book this week. Oh, well :D Happy with that. I haven't been well enough to read, not really, and I'm still not. Yet I wanted to finally read Crooked Kingdom. So I managed :) Hoping to read one more book this year. Fingers crossed. This week I posted my book recommendation of Six of Crows. <3 My precious. This week I'm waiting on the Carry On paperback :D And I posted my review of Crooked Kingdom :) Eee. I got a bit of mail this week, though I'm waiting on some things that are delayed. Ugh. Shipping this month have been the most awful. How rude. But anyway. I love what I got this week :D All so awesome. I hope you are having the best Christmas. <3



Heartless. Eee! I love love love this Owlcrate version of Heartless :D SO GORGEOUS. So happy with it.
United Poster. I was supposed to get this months ago, and it finally arrived :D Thank you lovely store. <3
Moana. Still missing a few books, but will be getting them one day ;p This one is just so adorable. Love.
Disney Store. Another Disney buy, eee :D My limited Moana doll. <3 Gosh, I love her. And Finding Dory tsum-tsums, and one from Finding Nemo :D I love them all so much. Sigh. I couldn't help but get them.
Notebook. This Beauty and the Beast notebook is beyond gorgeous. Had to buy it from Evie :D Love it.
Christmas Card. Eee! Thank you so, so much Becky :D This card was the sweetest thing. I love it. Hugs.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Review: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

I have finally read this book. And my heart is all kinds of broken. I'm unsure where to begin. Unsure what to share and what not to. I'm giving it five stars, though, despite my broken heart. Gah. I knew I would love this one, yet I was worried about one part. But even so. I ended up loving this book so much. Yess. So thrilled.

I'm not going to talk about the heartbreaking part until the end of my review. Where I might spoil a tiny bit, but no names, and no spoilers before that. I just. I loved Crooked Kingdom a whole lot.  It took me some time to read it, because I was treasuring every page. Gosh, how much I love how good these books are written.

I loved that Crooked Kingdom had all the point of views that I wanted. From all the main characters. Sigh. I love reading about them all the most. The story in this duology is beyond amazing. I'm not sure how to describe it well enough. Loved reading about these teenagers doing bad. I loved that they are all criminals. I loved reading about how they care about each other, even Kaz, though he would never say it. And I loved reading about this place. Ketterdam seems like the most awful town in the world. I would have loved to visit it, lol. This place was all kinds of awful. Yet they all live there. And I loved reading about their life. Gosh. Reading about Kaz and Inej and Matthias and Nina and Jesper and Wylan has been the most amazing. I'll miss them.

I'm not sure what to say about this precious thing. There is so much happening. All these characters gets hurt so much. They are always in pain, it seems like. And I loved every moment of it all. Despite my hurt heart. I'm just out of words. I loved this book way too much. I loved reading about how they went about rescuing Inej. How she was doing. And how they planned their revenge on Van Eck. And Pekka too. And oh god. It was all beyond interesting to read about. So much planning. So much action. All so amazing.

When it comes to the characters, my favorite of them all is Matthias. He is the cutest and he has the most interesting back story. Okay, fine, they all have amazing pasts. But I love Matthias the most. I love how brave and strong he is. And loving too. And I love how much he cares for Nina. Sigh. Matthias is the best. Second favorite might be Kaz. I adore him oh so much. Despite how rude he is all the time. He is just awesome. And beyond brutal. And his past is still so interesting and hurtful and I love reading about it all.

I felt like this book was mostly the story about Jesper and Wylan. And I didn't mind it one bit. They are adorable. And I ship them a whole bunch. Eee. They are too cute together. I can't tell you how much I loved reading about their past. So many secrets. It was so interesting to get to know it all. While they aren't my favorite characters, I still love them both beyond words, and I loved reading about them so much. They have a bunch of chapters in this one. Then there was also the Shu boy. I liked him a bunch.

Then there was Inej and Nina. Sigh. These two girls are so amazing. And I love reading about them way too much. Nina is a bit different in this book, yet even more awesome, and gosh, I love her. Inej is so, so amazing too. And I can't help but love these girls so much. Learning more about them was so exciting too. Though the past of Inej makes me so, so upset. I'm not okay with it. Sniffs. I just adore this girl. She's so strong and sweet and a bit brutal too. I love it. I loved all the characters so much. More than I can say.

I'm not saying much about the plot. Just that I loved it oh so much. There are too many things happening in this book. Yet never enough. I wish it had been even longer. I wish there would be another book. Sigh. I just wanted more. Though this book was enough too, but yeah. I wanted even more. There are also some amazing characters in this book from Leigh's first trilogy, and ahh. I loved it. So much. Though my favorite character was not included. Hmph. How rude, lol. Maybe in another book. Fingers crossed for the future.

I can't help it. I need to share a bit of spoilers about the ending of this book. I won't mention names. But I will mention what happens. Because I simply can't not mention it. There is a main character death near the end of this one. And it was a huge favorite of mine. I would rather any of the others had died, but this one. Sigh. I actually did love reading about the scene. But. It also made no sense. That death was the most random thing. And random things don't happen in these books. I'm disappointed. And the most sad.

Disappointed because I loved this one character the most. My favorite one. The character that deserved the most happiness at the end. And this person did not get that. I'm upset. More than upset. This death should not have happened. And I want it undone. I have seen some say that this character might be brought back to life. But I didn't read it like that. It didn't seem like that could happen. I mean, I want it more than I want anything, but it did not seem likely at all. And I'm so hurt and angry and disappointed.

I need Leigh to write more about this world. I need her to bring this character back to life. One thing that will haunt me forever, is that I saw someone say that the person this death left behind, will end up with another character in these books. And I would not be okay with that. It would kill me. Gosh. Please don't happen. Ahh. I'm nervous. I'm not sure what else to say. It hurts my heart too much. Yet I'm still giving this book five stars. Because I loved every moment. I wish the ending had been much, much longer, though.

But yes. I loved the ending of this book. I hated that heartbreak, because it made no sense, but I loved the rest of the ending. It was done so amazingly. It was all kinds of exciting and fun and awful and I loved reading every moment of it. These characters means so much to me. I love these two books so much. Sigh. Leigh is also a huge favorite of mine. I adore her. And cannot wait to read all her upcoming books. Eee. Crooked Kingdom was a masterpiece. Full of hurt and fun. I loved every moment of it. Go read it.


Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday #271

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

CARRY ON BY RAINBOW ROWELL

Goodreads Description:

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who's ever been chosen

That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.

Half the time Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here - it's their last year at Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.

Carry On is a love letter to love stories and the power of words - to every 'chosen one' who ever had more on their mind than saving the world...


Paperback
Expected publication: May 9th 2017 by St. Martin's Griffin  
(first published October 6th 2015)
Pre-Order here and here

I know, I know :D I have already read this precious, last year, eee. <3 Buuut. There is a new paperback cover coming in May. And I am DYING to own it. And so that counts for this post :) Because daaamn. That cover is gorgeous. Sigh. So pretty. I love it :D I cannot wait to own two copies of this one. <3 Eee. I'm unsure why I still haven't re-read this book yet. Only read it once, over a year ago. And I simply loved it beyond words. Yet I never have time lately. Sigh. But I will re-read soon :D Just, oh. How I adore Simon and Baz. They are amazing. I just really, really want a sequel. <3 Fingers crossed. Have you read it yet?
What are you waiting for on this magic Wednesday?

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Book Recommendation: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo


I finally managed to re-read this precious book. Eee. I have been wanting to read it again ever since I first read it last year. But I have also been a bit scared about reading it again. Because it is such an amazing book. With gorgeous writing. And the most excellent set of characters. And I care about them all way too much. And I'm worried. This book just makes me feel too much. It breaks my heart all the time. Yet it is so good. And I loved reading every moment of it. So glad I finally had time to read it again. It is so precious.

I don't know where to begin with this second review of mine. I adore this book so much. Just like I adore the author. Leigh is all kinds of amazing. And her books are the best. Cannot wait to read more books by her. But gosh, this book of hers is rude, lol. It made me care way too much about these characters. And I want happy endings for all of them. Sniffs. Okay, fine, I know how Crooked Kingdom ends. I'm hurt. But I won't say more than that. But even so, I'm sure I will love that final book like crazy. Reading it next, finally.

The writing in this book is simply gorgeous. I had no issues with it at all. Which is just the best feeling. It did take me forever to re-read this book, though, but that's because of health issues. I wish I could have read it all the time. Because there isn't a single boring part in this book. Sure, there were a few moments that made me a little bit angry, but that's normal, lol. Most of this book was perfection. And I'm so glad I finally read it again. Sigh. I just wish there were tons more books than just two in this series. Want more. 

"When everyone knows you're a monster, you needn't waste time doing every monstrous thing."

The characters in this book are all beyond amazing. And I love them all to pieces. They all have a ton of faults. Yet they are all perfect too. And I just adore reading about them all. Eee. My favorite character must be Matthias. I love him more than words. His back story is all kinds of interesting. And he has been hurt the most, I think. If I were him, I would want to murder so many of these people. Which he does. At first. But he is such a kind hearted person and strong and gah. I loved how he started to care about them.

I just cannot tell you how much I adore Matthias. He is all kinds of amazing. Sigh. And broken. And a bit mad at times. Yet I love him oh so much. But gosh. The other characters are so amazing too. Kaz is all kinds of special to me. Broken. So, so broken. Yet he has a soft heart too. Way deep inside. And I simply adored reading about Dirtyhands. And Wylan and Jesper too. They are so interesting to get to know. And I loved reading about their past too. All of these characters are just awesome. I love them all so much.

And oh, Nina and Inej. I adore these two girls oh so much. I'm not sure what else to say. They are both broken yet both the strongest. And so sweet and fierce and brutal and oh. They are just incredible. I loved reading about all of these people. And I am dying to know more about them. But gosh, reading Crooked Kingdom makes me so nervous. I don't want that heartbreak. Sniffs. But I still know that I will love the book. Just, yeah. I'm nervous. And hoping to love it all so much. Crossing my fingers. I'm so excited too.

I simply don't know what else to say about this precious book. I'm so happy about reading it again. I'm thrilled that I loved it just as much this time as I did last year. Probably even more. Reading about all the different places, the Grisha, and the Fjerdans. Gosh. It was so much fun. This book is so complicated. And I loved every moment of it. If you still haven't read Six of Crows, then get moving. Because this is not a book to be missed. It is glorious. Just wishing I owned that gorgeous ARC + box of it. One day, maybe.

Tears streaked the dirt of Matthias' face. The rage was gone, and it was like some flame had gone out with it. His north sea eyes were colder than she'd ever seen them, empty of feeling, stripped of anything human at all. This was what Hellgate had done to him. And it was her fault.


Saturday, December 17, 2016

In My Mailbox #268

I feel disappointed. I'm suddenly getting tons more pageviews on my blog, yet no comments at all :( Aw. I love getting comments. Sigh. I am still behind myself, though, on commenting. Ack. Not feeling the best. Tired all the time. Hmph. I haven't read a book this week.. but I am re-reading Six of Crows. But I started it 4 days ago. Only read about 200 pages. What. I'm not a slow reader. But I don't have the energy to pick up the book and read. Never any time. Sad face. But I'm hoping to manage to read tons today. And finish it tomorrow. Crossing all my fingers. And then I will finally get to start Crooked Kingdom :D Eee. I wish I had finished my re-read already, but yeah. I simply don't have the time. To read. To comment. To catch up to other things. I'm so tired all the time. I just wish to spend all day in bed. Sigh. But I can't do that. So I just sit in my chair all day long, playing games on my iPhone. Sigh. I do love that, though :) I'm playing the Trolls game, which I love. And Pokemon Go, though mostly just at home. Aw. Aaand, Super Mario Run just arrived :D Eee. Disappointed that I had to pay so much to keep playing, ugh, but I did it. And I do love this game. Mostly :D A bit hard to get all the coins. Hmph. Anyway. I didn't blog much this week. But still managed two posts, so I'm happy about that. I will be reading this weekend, and hopefully posting a review tomorrow and then again later in the week :) I finally posted a Top Ten Tuesday :D I couldn't not. This week I'm waiting on Now I Rise. <3 Hoping this next week will be amazing. Fingers crossed. And oh god. Christmas in just ONE WEEK. Ahhh :D Here in Norway everything happens on December 24th. I'm so excited. For turkey. And presents. And eee. So happy about Christmas :) Sadly.. we got tons of snow just days ago. Which was perfect. So pretty. Then it started raining. Sigh. It haven't rained too much, but just enough to remove a bunch of the snow. And will be raining a little each day for days now. Sobs. I want fresh snow in one week. Hmph. I hope you all will have the best Christmas :D Are you excited? <3



Six ARCs. EEE! Thank you so, so much Krys for trading with me :D Oh god. I'm beyond happy about all of these ARCs. Sniffs. They are so important to me. I will love and treasure them forever. <3 So happy.
Crystal Storm. Aaack. I have still only read book one. But reading them all one day soonish :D Excited.
Violent Ends. Gah. I haven't read my hardcover yet. But I will. And I will love this book; I just know it :D
Finding Dory. This movie was all kinds of adorable. I cannot wait to watch it again. It came out pretty fast.
Trolls + Moana. Finally got the real looking copies of these soundtracks :D I love these songs the most.
Pop Figures. More pop :D Waiting on tons, but not released yet.. I adore all of these. EDWARD. Love.
Christmas Card. EEE! Thank you so much Alyssa :D All the hugs. <3 Your card meant so much to me.
Nevernight + Gemina bookmarks. Ahh! :D Thank you so much precious friend. <3 I adore these the most.
Bukowski Plush. Eee. I simply want to own all the plushes from this brand, lol. I have so many. Adorable.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday #270

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

NOW I RISE (The Conquerer's Saga #2) BY KIERSTEN WHITE

Goodreads Description:

Lada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.

What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?

As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost.


Hardcover, 496 pages
Expected publication: June 27th 2017 by Delacorte Press
Pre-Order here and here

I am so, so excited about this one. Eeee. I liked book one oh so much. And I Darken was just amazing. And I'm just dying to read this sequel. Yet beyond nervous too. I'm unsure about the romance, hah, yet I don't want it ruined, lol. I'm nervous. And excited. And I think I will love this book a bunch. Just wishing for the chance to get an ARC of it and reading it early :D Eee. Wish it was June. My cover reveal post here.
What are you waiting for on this dark Wednesday?

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday #29

 
Top Ten Books I'm Looking Forward
To For The First Half Of 2017




1. Shadows of the Lost Sun by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis.
I'm the most excited about reading this one. And it's out in just under a month. Eee. I simply cannot wait for it. It's probably going to break my heart, like the first two. But also be the most amazing. I'm so excited. I adore Fin and Marrill.







2. Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer.
I simply cannot wait for this precious book. Graphic novel. Eee. It's going to be so good. I adore Iko. And I love that the other characters will be included too. Sigh. I adore this world. I cannot wait for this story. I will love it so much.






3. Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth.
Oh, I cannot wait to read this book. It looks awesome. And it sounds so good. And I want it so badly. Sigh. I think and hope that I'm going to love this book oh so much. Crossing my fingers that it will be amazing. I'm so excited to read it.






4. The Burning World by Isaac Marion.
Please let this one end happily for my couple. Pretty please. It has been ages since I read Warm Bodies, but I adored it. And I liked the movie too. And gosh, I'm excited about this sequel. Please let it be amazing. So curious about this.






5. Spectacle by Rachel Vincent.
So excited and nervous about this one. I loved book one oh so much. Menagerie was amazing and heartbreaking. I think this sequel will be even more heartbreaking. I'm just hoping for romance. Which won't happen. Ahh.







6. Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton.
I adored book one. And I'm super excited about this sequel. I think it will be so amazing. And it's going to be so long too. Ahh. I cannot wait to read and love it. Also happy, because author said there is no love triangle between main couple.






7. Starfall by Melissa Landers.
Eee, I'm a bit nervous about this one, as I didn't fully love these two characters in book one, yet I adored the plot. And writing. And world. And so I'm still so excited about this one. I'm hoping to fall in love with them both. I'm so curious.






8. Pyromantic by Lish McBride.
I'm worried. I want my ship to work out so badly. Yet I fear it will not. I fear a heartbreaking triangle. Ahh. Gosh, I hope not. I hope that this book will be amazing. And fun. I think it will be. I'm just worried, lol. Crossing my fingers.







9. Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken.
While I didn't totally love book one, I found it to be all kinds of interesting. And I loved the world. And so I'm so excited about this sequel. I think it will end up being pretty awesome. And I hope and think that I will love it. Can't wait to see.






10. A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab.
I can't help but share this one too. Yes, I haven't read book two yet, but I'm going to. The moment before this book releases. And oh gosh, I'm so excited. I need to know how it ends. I need more of the romance. Ahhh. I cannot wait.






Already been months since I last did a post like this. Gosh. I just haven't felt like doing the topics lately, lol, and I haven't had the energy either. I still don't. But today I really wanted to take part and share about the books I'm excited about reading very soon :D Eee. Also. I have already read a few books coming out early next year, and loved those, so not included those that I have already read :) But so excited to own them, haha. I'm super excited about reading these ten books. Though there are also a whole bunch of other books I'm excited about. But just sharing about these now :D Which books are you excited about?

Top Ten Tuesdays is a weekly meme held by The Broke and the Bookish :)

Saturday, December 10, 2016

In My Mailbox #267

This week have been sort of okay. My joints are feeling better at least, so yay :) Medicine is mostly working atm, so I'm happy about that. But something is wrong with my mouth. Ugh. Swollen and red and my tongue hurts all the time. Don't know what it is yet, but going to the doctor if it isn't better on Monday. Hoping it goes away before then. So annoying. Anyway. I did get some gorgeous mail this week, though :D I'm happy about all of it. <3 And even more happy, because early next week my box of 6 ARCs from a lovely person will be arriving. <3 Eee. Cannot wait to share about them all :D So many. So special. So gorgeous. I'm the most excited. Also excited because my Disney package finally arrived, lol, and I got to order the limited edition Moana doll this week too. I cannot wait to get her. She's gorgeous. This week I went to the cinema to see A Monster Calls, and ohh, it was pretty amazing. And sad. I remember loving the book a few years back. You should all watch this movie. Sigh. I'm still behind on just about everything, sigh, but hoping to find the energy and time to comment this weekend. Fingers crossed. I did read one book this week :D I'm happy with that. Hoping to read more these next days. I must also admit that I have seen Moana :D Eee! It was so, so perfect. But it still isn't in cinemas here until February. So I watched it in crappy quality on my laptop.. ack. But still perfect. Hoping to be able to watch it in a cinema when I go to Chicago, first week of February :) If it's still there then. Fingers crossed. Anyway. I just spend my days sitting still. Mostly. And playing Pokemon Go, when we drive somewhere, and also listening to the Moana music all the time. I can't help it :) I only blogged twice this week. Aw. This week I'm waiting on Strange the Dreamer :) And I shared my review of The Perfect Stranger. <3 Eee! I got it via Netgalley this week, and I read it right away, and I loved it :D So happy. Anyway. I mostly had a good week :) Lovely mail too.


The Lunar Chronicles Coloring Book. Yay! My gorgeous copies have arrived :D And they are perfect.
Zootopia. There was two different versions of this one, and so I had to get them both :D Building it soon.
Heartless. Finally got my two international paperback versions of this perfect book :D Yay. So gorgeous.
Their Fractured Light. Eee, paperback edition :D My collection is finally complete. <3 It is so, so stunning.
Gemina Notebook. Another notebook bought from Evie via Society6 :D It is just stunning. I love it lots. <3
Movies. I couldn't help it. Black Friday sale. I got a bunch, lol. Have seen and loved most of these; yay :)
Bookmarks. Eee! More from Happy Hello :D I'm so happy with them all. Iko. Studio Ghibli. My precious.

Disney Store. Sometimes I simply can't help myself, and then I order from Disney Store Sweden. Ahh. I was supposed to only get the Moana Tsum-Tsum plushes, lol, but then I saw the other stuff that I needed. Ack. Will be sharing better picture of the plushes on my instagram tomorrow :) Anyway. I got Lilo + Merida as those were the last of the little dolls box sets I were missing. Gorgeous. And two Rapunzel ornament things. I own a bunch of her, lol. And lots of Finding Dory figures. So so cute. I simply love it all. Perfect.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, December 9, 2016

Review: The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda

This book was all kinds of amazing. I knew it would be, because it is written by Megan, lol. I have read almost all her books, and I enjoyed them all so much. I don't usually read adult books, but with Megan I have. I'm so glad that I read this one. Been excited about it ever since I read All the Missing Girls earlier this year.

I have so many thoughts about this book. Yet I'm not sure I will be able to write it all, because there are a lot of spoilery things happening in this one. But gosh, what an amazing book. Giving it four stars, because I found the beginning a bit slow, but besides that, I loved this book. It was exciting and a bit creepy. So good.

I adored the writing in this one. I have always loved the writing of Megan. She's awesome. But yeah. This book was written really well. And I enjoyed reading it so much. I even stayed up until after 3am to finish it. I simply could not stop. This book is full of suspense. Which I loved lots. I do not read a lot of adult books. Because I don't find the plot interesting and I sort of have issues with reading about older characters, haha. But I had no issues with this book at all. The girl is thirty years old. She seemed amazing. And I loved reading about her so much. She truly isn't that much older than me; I'm twenty three. Just, yeah. I really loved reading about her and getting to know her. Most of the book is inside her head at all times. Leah was simply awesome.

As I said, the beginning of this book is a bit slow, with not much happening, but that did not mean I did not enjoy every page of it. Because I did. I loved getting to slowly know Leah, and know about her past too. Which was awesome and pretty sad too. I found Leah to be such an amazing person and I simply adored her. She just had to start her life over, after she printed an article in her town that went bad. And so she had to quit her job, and then she left. She moved far away, to live with a girl she knew eight years ago.

This book is about Leah living in this new town, working as a teacher for high school students. I actually enjoyed reading about her job, lol. I usually despise school settings. But this was pretty good, probably because she was just a teacher. Though her school was a bit creepy, with all the stalkerish people there. The plot in The Perfect Stranger is that a girl was just found beaten up, almost dead. At the same time Leah's roommate goes missing. This book is about that. Finding Emmy. Also learning things about her.

And it was all kinds of interesting. Leah adores Emmy. And I loved that a lot. She cared for her a bunch. Despite only having known her for three months, which was eight years ago, before they met again about half a year ago. They are great friends, though. And I enjoyed reading about their life together in this new place. But yeah. Emmy goes missing. And Leah doesn't really notice until she has been gone for days, as they don't spend much time together, because of work and such. But then she does notice. Looks for her.

And Leah would do anything to find Emmy. She contacts the police about it, and they start searching for her. But gosh. There are so many plot twists in this book. Emmy has a lot of secrets. And Leah does too. And I loved learning them all. A few things I saw coming, but most were surprises, and I loved that a lot. This book was all kinds of exciting. And I enjoyed reading every page of it. I just wish it had been even longer, lol. The ending of this book was so exciting and I could simply not stop reading. Which is the best.

I feel like I should mention that there is some romance in this book. Eee. Emmy meets a bunch of police officers in this book. One of them is Kyle. Who seemed pretty amazing. I liked how they were attracted to each other. I liked how it turned into something more. There isn't much focus on the romance in this book, which made me a bit sad, and there were no steamy scenes at all, but I'm mostly okay about that, haha. Because the book was amazing without that. And the romance was good. Really good. For the most part.

I'm not sure what else to say about this book. I don't want to give the plot away. Because it was amazing to read about. And it was awesome to figure it all out. This book is a mystery. And I adored it. I have just run out of words about this book. The Perfect Stranger was everything I wanted it to be. Full of suspense and mystery. The story was so incredible and so interesting. I adored Leah and Kyle. I think you should all read this book. Right away. Thank you to the publisher for approving my Netgalley request to read it :)


Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday #269

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

STRANGE THE DREAMER BY LAINI TAYLOR

Goodreads Description:

A new epic fantasy by National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy.

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around— and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? and if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

In this sweeping and breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt the citadel of murdered gods. Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.

Welcome to Weep.


Hardcover, 544 pages
Expected publication: March 28th 2017 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pre-Order here and here

I have been hearing about this book for ages now; with everyone being excited about it. Yet I had not read the summary until last week sometime. Ack. But now I'm super excited about reading this book too :D It sounds weird and awesome. I think I will love it. I just wish I could read it right now, lol. Fingers crossed it will be amazing. I haven't read anything by Laini yet, but I have her books, so one day :D
What are you waiting for on this strange Wednesday?

Saturday, December 3, 2016

In My Mailbox #266

I read one book this week. And I have finally gotten my medicine. So this have sort of been a good week :) Despite the fact that the book I read was only a one star, haha. And that I had to stay gone all the way until after 11pm on the day I got my medicine. Which was beyond exhausting. Sigh. But now hoping that I will start feeling better and that I will finally get to read more and comment and do other stuff :D Yay! I did not get many books this week. Aw. But more next week, haha. But I did get a ton of gorgeous stuff in the mail even so :D And I love it all a whole bunch. <3 I love that it is finally December. Eee. Though now I also have to take part in about 70 different contests each day until the 24th. Ack! I shall survive, hopefully :) And hoping I will win awesome stuff. Fingers crossed. Anyway. I think I will be doing better now, finally. And oh gosh. It is now less than 60 days until I leave for Chicago for a week! AHH! I am so excited :D I hope it will be amazing. And not too cold and windy. Ack. Anyway. I blogged a tiny bit this week.. aw. This week I'm waiting on Wonder Woman: Warbringer. <3 Then I posted my review of The Cresswell Plot :) I'm excited about planning to read more, if I feel better. I'm hoping that December will be amazing for me :)

Twitter giveaway of swag pack. International. Ends 12/04. LAST CHANCE!



Stormdancer. Eee! Japanese edition :D I love it! Gorgeous art. Perfect. Took 2 days to arrive. Gosh. Love.
Cinder Notebook. Bought from Evie via Society6 :D It is just gorgeous. And I'm getting two more, haha.
The Secret Life of Pets. Yay! This movie finally came out :) Excited to see it in English too. + tiny figure.
Pop Figures. So many :D Eee! I love them all. Waiting on even more. But these pre-orders just shipped :)
Glass Dragon. Not the best picture, I know, but I had to buy this one :D It is gorgeous. Looks like Haku.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Review: The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass

I have been curious about this book for months now. Because that cover is all kinds of gorgeous. Plus the book sounded pretty interesting too. Today I finally got the chance to read it. And oh, how I am disappointed. I from the very beginning that I would have issues with this, because of the writing. Then it got worse.

Everything about this book was wrong. I tried my best to give it a chance. To enjoy it. But it was simply impossible. I had so many issues with it. Sad face. It is the first book I have read in weeks. I really wanted to enjoy it. But I'm giving it a one star. Because it really truly did not have a single part that I enjoyed reading. Ugh.

I thought this book would be pretty amazing. And I guess it could have been. I liked the plot, how it could have been. This book is about Castley and her five siblings and their father. And mother, whom I thought for sure was dead, but there she was in their living room a few pages after. Huh. Not dead, then. But so not there either. Waste of a character. Anyway. The plot. These six siblings have been growing up pretty badly, with their father being crazy about god and whatnot. God is so not my thing, but I thought this sounded like it could be pretty horrible and interesting to read about. Sadly, it was not. I felt like it was done really badly. First, the writing was not good at all. Second, I did not care for any of the characters. Like, at all. They were awful.

This book wasn't very long. Just two hundred and fifty pages. Still felt like it took me forever to finish it. I kept waiting for the climax to happen. And when it finally did, at the end, it lasted for only a few pages. And ended way too soon. Made no sense at all. Ugh. The ending wasn't good either. I mean, it wasn't tragic at all, which I wanted. No heartbreak. Not really. Nothing gruesome. Nothing scary. Nothing sad. I felt nothing. Which I haaate while reading. Anyway. The ending was so rushed. And not done well. Sigh.

I kept waiting for amazing things to happen. But nothing ever did. I'm not writing my review like I usually do. Sort of. I don't feel like talking about everything about this book. About the characters. Their names were pretty interesting, except they all had nicknames too, and so their special names made no sense. Sigh. I didn't like the siblings. At all. They were all sinners, haha. And mean at times. And didn't seem to really care about anything. Not even each other. They were just boring. Painfully boring. Disappointing.

I suppose that the main character, Castley, was supposed to be more interesting. With her rebelling and whatnot. But she wasn't interesting at all. She did nothing worth talking about. She was just so boring to read about. Which disappointed me a whole bunch. She spends most of the book thinking about sex. And god. And her father. And sex with her brother. See, their father has decided that they are all going to go to heaven. And the six siblings have to marry each other. And none of them really minds this. What. Ugh.

And so there is also incest in this book. There is even a sibling kiss. And I hated every moment of it. It wasn't done well. And it was annoying to read about. Especially since when the kiss was happening, she was thinking that she wanted him inside of her. And that was all kinds of perverse, as he is her brother, and have been with her all her life. It was wrong. I did not like it. Sigh. It wasn't written in a good way. It didn't make sense. And this brother was pretty awful too. I didn't like reading about him. She loves him.

Sigh. I don't know what else I wish to share about this book. All the siblings were just awful. I didn't care for any of them. Well, I might have been really interested in knowing more about Baby J. Whose name made no sense to me, since she's supposed to be older than six, but I have no idea how old. Ugh. She was sort of interesting. Maybe. But not enough. There is also a regular boy in this book. There is kissing. I felt nothing. Written badly. He seemed good, until suddenly he wasn't a nice person. It made no sense.

Okay. I'm done with this. I really wanted it to be amazing. But it was not. It was just all kinds of awful. Ugh. I haven't even mentioned most of what happens. About the plot and her father and whatever. I'm just done with this book. Plus side, it is gorgeous looking. But so not worth it. I would not recommend it at all. Aw. Anyway. Huge thank you to the lovely Becky, an awesome friend, for sending me this stunning ARC of this book. Means so much to me. Sadly, the inside were not stunning at all. Not a book for me.


Waiting on Wednesday #268

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

WONDER WOMAN: WARBRINGER BY LEIGH BARDUGO

Goodreads Description:

The highly anticipated coming-of-age story for the world's greatest super hero: WONDER WOMAN by the # 1 New York Times bestselling author LEIGH BARDUGO.

She will become one of the world's greatest heroes: WONDER WOMAN. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. . . .

Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.

Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn't know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.

Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.
 


Hardcover, 304 pages
Expected publication: August 29th 2017 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Pre-Order here and here

Eee! I cannot wait for this book :D I adore Leigh Bardugo oh so much. <3 She's awesome. And her books are amazing. And I simply cannot wait to read her version of Wonder Woman. Eee. I must admit that I have never watched anything with Wonder Woman before.. ahh. I read one middle grade book months ago, but I did not like it at all. Ugh. But I think WW seems amazing, even so, and I think I will love this book a bunch :D So curious about it. Aaalso, that cover is awesome. Love it so much. I'm so excited.
What are you waiting for on this wonderful Wednesday?

Saturday, November 26, 2016

In My Mailbox #265

I still haven't read anything. Sobs. I just do not have the energy or the will to read. Or the want, really. I hate that my health is so goddamn bad at the moment. Everything hurts. My body is killing me a bit. Ugh. It hurts to move. It hurts to sit still. It hurts to sleep. Every single thing hurts. Sigh. Plus side, finally, finally getting more medicine on December 1st, and then I shall start feeling better. I hope. I'm planning, hoping, to read tons in December. If I have the time.. because every December I take part in tons of Christmas calendar contests thingy here in Norway online each day. Takes ages. But I shall read too. Once my body feels better. Sigh. I really hoped to read something this week. I have even had a small book next to me all week long. I just never have the energy to pick it up. Ugh. Hopefully today. Or tomorrow. We'll see. Since I didn't read this week, I also didn't blog much. Aw. Especially since my book collection posts are on break too. Hmph. But I did post two things, so yeah, better than none :) I shared the gorgeous cover for Lord of Shadows :D This week I'm waiting on Shadows of the Lost Sun. <3 Despite not having the best week, as I'm in so much pain and such, I'm still feeling pretty happy. I got some gorgeous mail :D Eee. Got one of my most wanted ARCs from a lovely trade. <3 So, so happy. Also, I am so excited about it almost being Christmas :D Eee! Christmas stuff is getting put up in my house this weekend. It is all so pretty. Cannot wait for all the awesome food later in December, haha :) Hoping next week will be better.


Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy. My hardcovers finally arrived :D They are gorgeous. And huge.
Gemina. Finally got my Australian edition of this gorgeous book :D So big. Love it. My final version :)
Heartless. Eee, two gorgeous UK editions of this lovely book :D They are so pretty. And different. Love.
Wolf By Wolf. I was missing this new UK paperback edition of this amazing book. Had to have it. Love.
Moana. I got this the week before, lol, just forgot to include it :D I want this movie. Sobs. February yet?
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls. AHHH! Thank you so much Cristina for trading with me :D Eeee! I am so, so happy to finally own this most precious ARC. <3 Now I have them all by Claire. Eee.
Lodestar. I couldn't help but buy this one signed and personalized :) It is so gorgeous. And all the swag.
The Legend of Tarzan + Ice Age 5. I loved both these movies a whole bunch. So I had to own them. <3
Beauty and the Beast Lego. There was a sale. I couldn't help but buy this pretty thing. Eee. I love it so.


More Instagram photos here. <3