Tuesday, February 28, 2017

News: Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Marissa Meyer has a new book out this year :D Called Renegades. About heroes and villains. Eee! I have been waiting ages for this superhero book :D I first heard about it in July 2014, and ahh, I'm so so excited that it has finally been announced, and that the release date will be November this year :D I cannot wait for this book. But ahh. Just saw that Marissa says this is just a standalone. It was a trilogy before. Makes me a bit sad, yet still thrilled about this book :D I'm sure it will be all kinds of amazing, no matter what. I cannot wait to meet Nova and Adrian. I hope this romance will be the most amazing thing, hih :D Okay, might not be a romance, but I'm sure there will be, and I am so excited. This book just sounds so good. I'm going to love it the most. Such a huge fan of Marissa. She writes the best books. Eee. I cannot wait.


From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer, comes a high-stakes world of adventure, passion, danger, and betrayal.

Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.


Monday, February 27, 2017

Review: Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer

This was my first time reading a graphic novel. And it was the best book I could have chosen to be my first. Ever since I first read Cinder all those years ago, I have wanted to know more about Iko. And getting this whole book about her, eee, it was simply perfection. I only wish that this had been even longer.

But there will be a volume two next year, and oh gosh, I'm so excited. Hoping it will be longer too. This graphic novel was just all kinds of amazing. I loved it so much. Getting to read more about these characters were the best thing. The Lunar Chronicles is one of my favorite series. I love it beyond words.

I really enjoyed reading this one. As always, Marissa has such stunning writing. While there isn't that much written in this one, there was enough and it was all so perfect. I simply love these characters and this story oh so much. Wires and Nerve takes place after Winter, but yet before the epilogue in Stars Above. While this is the story of Iko, we get to read about all the other characters too, and it made me thrilled. I adore them so much. And oh, the illustrations in this book. They were all so gorgeous. I wish there had been more color, as just about everything is blue, but I didn't mind too much. It's still stunning. And I loved how all the characters were drawn. Not fully the way I imagine them at all, but still so pretty, and I really did love looking at them.

This story wasn't all that long, yet it was fully fantastic. Gosh, I love this world Marissa has created. I hope she never stops writing about these characters. Though I fear there won't be more after the next graphic novel. Ahh. I hope I'm wrong. Because I feel I will never be done reading about Cinder and Kai, Scarlet and Wolf, Cress and Thorne, Winter and Jacin, Iko and Kinney. Just love these characters beyond words. And reading about them all is the very best. I loved getting updates on them all. Adore their relationships.

Wires and Nerve is mostly about Iko. And gosh, how I love this girl. She's all kinds of amazing. And I just love getting to know her better. In this story, she's hunting for the wolf-hybrid soldiers that went missing on Earth after the war. And ahh. I loved reading about her looking for them. Iko is all kinds of fierce. She's awesome at hunting. She got so many of them. And it was really interesting to read about, and watch all the drawings too. These soldiers are still all kinds of horrible. And I hope Iko gets them all. She's the best.

I really loved how Iko spends time with just about all the old characters in this book as well. Her friendship with Cinder is the very best thing. Iko doesn't spend too much time with Kinney in this one, will be more in book two, but ahh. Reading about these two together is all kinds of fun. I ship them like crazy. Want them together so badly. Though I do need him to treat her better first. Hmph. And change his views on things as well. But yeah, I liked Kinney a lot. And I need more of him and Iko so badly. They are just the cutest.

I'm not going to say more about this one. Just that I loved it oh so much. And that I'm dying for part two. And that I love these characters more than I can say. If you are a fan of these books too, then you must read Wires and Nerve. Because this book is beyond amazing. Perfect for old and new fans. The story is interesting and so much fun too. The characters are, as always, the very best. Iko is just adorable. I'm so happy to finally have read this graphic novel. And so happy to say that I loved it so much. Was so perfect.


Cover Reveal: Odd & True by Cat Winters

Oh, how I love the books by Cat Winters. Eee. She's amazing. And she's written so many amazing books already. Gosh. And this newest one. Ahh. Odd & True sounds like it's going to be amazing. I simply can't wait to read and love it :D Eee.Wishing it was September 12th already. I'm going to love this book. And oh, I need that ARC of it that will be out soon. Eee. To complete my complete collection, lol. <3 So so so excited to read this one. It's going to be amazing. And oh, how I love this cover :D Gorgeous. So pretty. I cannot wait to get to meet Od and True. Eee. They both sound so amazing. Sigh. I will love this so much.


Trudchen grew up hearing Odette’s stories of their monster-slaying mother and a magician’s curse. But now that Tru’s older, she’s starting to wonder if her older sister’s tales were just comforting lies, especially because there’s nothing fantastic about her own life—permanently disabled and in constant pain from childhood polio.

In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase supposedly full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it’s Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters’ search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that’s wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister—despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances—might, indeed, have magic after all.





Sunday, February 26, 2017

Chicago

Earlier this month I spent a whole week in Chicago. Just my sister and I. I had a lot of eurobonus points to use, and because of this, the plane trip was almost free, and we just had to pay for a hotel. Which means that the trip wasn't all that expensive. Yay! I was pretty excited about going to Chicago, because I had a long list of stuff I wanted to buy in America, haha. But I were also a bit nervous, as I learned that people are shot and killed in Chicago several times a day. And that people get robbed there all the time. So we were a bit scared most of the time there. Aw. But I'm happy to say, now that I'm home, that Chicago was perfectly safe. At least Downtown Chicago. We did not see anything bad happening, and it was fully safe.

We did have a good time in Chicago. But I must admit that it wasn't all that awesome. First of, the cold was all kinds of awful. I mean, it's colder here where I live, but I don't get that wind here. And I don't have to be outside in the cold for hours each day. That was pretty awful. And oh gosh, I thought the food in America was cheap. Haha. It was so not. Everything was expensive. Except McDonald's, but we couldn't eat there every meal. Every meal was expensive. Because of the high prices, but also because of taxes for every single thing, and then having to pay tip too. That is not a thing here in Norway. And every price here for everything is already included taxes, so no nasty surprises here. Hmph. But yeah. We were so disappointed by the food in Chicago. Expensive, and just about everything we ate tasted awful. Which was so sad. Expensive and not good. Only eatable food was at McDonald's, lol. And different milkshakes at other places. But most food were pretty awful, which was so disappointing. I had expected much more.

I must admit that one week in Chicago was a bit too long, lol. We didn't have much to do there, as we had expected the shopping to be much bigger than it was. Cause I have been in London a few times, and the shopping street there is huge. So many stores. Much, much bigger than Chicago downtown. Aw. Though one week was a bit too much, I still did have a good time. I went to the zoo, which was pretty awesome. Though we didn't get to see the polar bear. Hmph. Chicago wasn't all that awesome, sadly, but I still had a great time there. It was fun to visit America again, and spending time with my sister. I also did so much shopping. No clothes, because those were all kinds of expensive, and nothing I wanted. But I found three Disney Store, lol. And I got so much that I wanted. Eee. A bit sad they didn't have any old things; I really wanted a lot more tsum-tsum plushes. Aw. See everything that I got from Chicago here. But I still got so much I wanted. And I managed to find a hot topic too, that had all the special pop figures I wanted. Yess. I spent way too much money, lol, but it was worth it. Loved everything that I bought. One thing I didn't like about Chicago, was the cold. It was awful. Ack. And then a week after we went home, there was almost 20c. What. Totally unfair. Also really disliked how much I had to walk, lol. Not good for my health. So, so much walking. But I survived. Sharing a few pictures below of my trip :) Have you ever been to Chicago?





Saturday, February 25, 2017

In My Mailbox #277

This week have been all kinds of awful, ack. Yet good too. I got my usual medicine on monday, which went fine, but then the day after I got really sick. And I am still so, so sick. I suppose it is just a cold from hell. My ears are shut almost all the time, my nose is awful, and I keep having to cough too, which is so painful. Ahh. I have just zero energy left. Ugh. Oh, and my taste has left me too. I'm not okay with being sick like this too. Hmph. So unfair. But yeah. I think, maybe, I'm starting to get better. I feel awful today. Yet a tiny, tiny bit better than yesterday. But despite this, I did have a good week. I also blogged a whole bunch. I read two books. I'm catching up to shows. Haven't catched up to commenting yet, but soon. Still haven't finished my Chicago post, but almost done writing it, just need to put the pictures together too :) Up tomorrow or Monday. I have also, finally, gotten my new chair :D Eee. It's huuuge. And expensive. But so comfy. I really needed it. I also got much more mail this week, and it all looks gorgeous. Yay. I'm just hoping that the sickness will pass fast. Not sure what I'm reading next, but shall figure it out soonish :) I want to re-read A Darker Shade of Magic, so that I can finally read the next two books. I did peek so, so much on book three, haha :D Anyway. This week I blogged so much. I posted my review of Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales :) I shared about the cover for One Dark Throne. <3 This week I'm waiting on The Fallen Kingdom :D I posted my review of Missing :) Shared the cover for Into the Bright Unknown. <3 Then I posted The Book of Dust news :D Eee! Will be posting more cover reveals this coming week too. There are just so many news lately. Loving it all :) So for the most part, I had a pretty good week.



The Son of Neptune. Yay for gorgeous graphic novel :D I loved this book a lot, trying this version one day.
The Wish Granter. This book was so, so good. Yay for it finally being out :D This hardcover is stunning.
The Valiant. Reading this one soonish :D I'm pretty excited about it. So many love it. Hope that I will too.
Long May She Reign. I was a bit mixed about this one, but I did like it, and I wanted to own it. Gorgeous.
The Forbidden Wish. I loved this book. And I really needed this gorgeous paperback edition of it. Love.
A Conjuring of Light. Eee, this book is big and gorgeous. I cannot wait to read all of it pretty soon. Yay.
Movies. I love Huntsman. Needed this edition, haha. The BFG.. not so good. But giving it another try, lol.
Pop Figures. More figures have arrived :D And they are all gorgeous. Must buy the other W figures too.
Pokemon. I couldn't help but buy these pokemon cards, hih. I used to collect when I was much smaller.
Nevernight bookmarks. Eee. My newest Happy Hello bookmarks :D I love this book. Love these so much.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, February 24, 2017

News: The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman

EEE! there will be more His Dark Materials books :D Philip Pullman has announced that he is writing a new trilogy from this world. And oh my gosh. I'm so, so excited. The series will be called The Book of Dust. I love it so much. Book one will take place ten years before the original trilogy. Then book two and three will take place ten years after the first books, when Lyra is twenty. And oh, I'm excited. The Book of Dust sounds like it will be aaamazing. Eee. Book one will be out this year, on October 19th :D Can't wait.

This news make me the happiest person alive. Eeee! I'm the biggest fan of His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. And I have wanted a sequel to these three books more than I have wanted anything. I need to know more about Lyra and Will. I need them to be able to meet again. I simply need that more than I need anything else. Okay, I suppose this might still not happen in this new trilogy, but I have high hopes, and I think that it will. Crossing my fingers. Either way, I just could not be more excited about this :D Eee. These three books are going to be amazing. A bit sad that the first one will be set so many years before His Dark Materials, but also thinking that I will love it to pieces. So I cannot wait. And beyond thrilled that book two and three will be when Lyra is twenty years old. Ahhh. All grown up. Gosh, I cannot wait. I'm nervous, of course, but I know Philip will make them amazing. I must know when book two will be out.



Philip Pullman returns to the world of His Dark Materials with this magnificent new novel, set ten years before Northern Lights and featuring his much-loved character, Lyra Belacqua.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Cover Reveal: Into the Bright Unknown by Rae Carson

Oh, how I'm excited about this one. I loved book one and two beyond words. And I think this third and final book will be even better. Eee :D I simply cannot wait. Into the Bright Unknown sounds aaaamazing. I cannot wait to read more about Leah and Jefferson :D And their romance. Swoon. I need more. Beyond excited. And ahh, this cover! Gosh. It's beyond stunning. I love it so much. All three covers are perfection. Sigh. I just wish I could read this book right away. Fingers crossed for ARCs of it. Just. It's so, so pretty.


The stunning conclusion to Rae Carson’s New York Times–bestselling Gold Seer trilogy, which Publishers Weekly in a starred review called “Simply terrific.” A historical fantasy brimming with magic, romance, and adventure—perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah Maas, and Westworld.

Leah Westfall, her fiancé Jefferson, and her friends have become rich in the California Territory, thanks to Lee’s magical ability to sense precious gold. But their fortune has made them a target, and when a dangerous billionaire sets out to destroy them, Lee and her friends decide they’ve had enough—they will fight back with all their power and talents. Lee’s magic is continuing to strengthen and grow, but someone is on to her—someone who might have a bit of magic herself. The stakes are higher than ever as Lee and her friends hatch a daring scheme that could alter the California landscape forever. With a distinctive young heroine and a unique interpretation of American history, Into the Bright Unknown strikes a rich vein of romance, magic, and adventure, bringing the Gold Seer Trilogy to its epic conclusion. Includes a map and an author’s note.




Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Review: Missing by Kelley Armstrong

I simply couldn't help but request this book the moment I saw it. Because it sounded just like my kind of story. I love mysteries, lol. And I really enjoyed the other book like this by Kelley. So I was really excited to read this one. While I enjoyed this book, I sadly didn't love it. Aw. But I did enjoy the mystery very much.

I had expected to love this book, so it was a little disappointing when I started reading it that I hated the beginning. Okay, I didn't fully hate this book, but I disliked so much about the first parts of it. Mostly because it was boring, yet it was not supposed to be. Probably also because the book started in a weird place. Sigh.

The reason for why I had issues with the beginning was because of the main character, Winter, I think. I felt like this book began in a weird place, cause I wanted and needed to get to know Winter more first. I'm not sure how to describe it. Just that it bothered me to read the beginning and not know the girl enough. I simply didn't like her enough in the beginning, which was depressing. I also found some parts of the beginning to be pretty silly. Which is why I'm giving this book three stars. Because I did not love it all. Aw. But. The book did get better. And I found the last part of the book to be all kinds of awesome. Not perfect, but I enjoyed it a whole bunch. I didn't really have any issues with the writing, just didn't love it either. I liked the book, but sadly no love.

Missing is told from the point of view of Winter. She's a girl living in this very small town, where a lot of the people are poor, she included. She's on her final high school year, and just waiting for the time to be able to leave this town. She's really smart, and she knows how to hunt. I wish I could say that I loved her, but I had some issues with her. Aw. Mostly because I felt like I didn't connect to her at all. I liked reading about her, I just didn't fully care about her, which was so sad. She was interesting, though. But I wanted more.

This book is about Winter discovering a boy in the woods where she spends all her time. He has been beaten badly, and seems scared of someone. She helps him heal for a couple of days, and gets to know him too. Sadly I didn't connect with this at all. Or really understand the point of it. She didn't take him to the police or a doctor. Or someone else either. She didn't call anyone. And he even kisses her when she doesn't want it. I just did not like Lennon at all. He was supposed to seem cute, I guess, but he was not.

Thankfully, this boy was not the love interest at all. Because Lennon goes missing a few days after Winter finds him. And then his brother comes looking for him. And ah, I loved Jude a whole lot more. I had a few issues with him, aw, but for the most time I loved him a lot. And I shipped him and Winter so much. I liked reading about how they got closer, how they became friends, while also searching for Lennon. They don't have the best start, but they do get closer, and I loved that. They were pretty cute to read about together.

This book is about missing teenagers. I was hoping to love that so much, but I had so many issues with it in this book. Aw. Probably because Winter and Jude were the only ones looking for these missing teens. No one else seemed to think they were missing. The local sheriff was the most awful person, that really bothered me too. It shouldn't be like that. Sigh. I enjoyed reading about Winter and Jude looking for clues, because it was interesting, but it wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be. Some parts got boring fast.

But despite all that I found the mystery in this book to be all kinds of interesting. I liked finding out who the kidnapper was. I liked how it all fit into the story, with all the characters. I also liked the final scenes of the book. I liked the romance, though I wish that had been a bigger part of the book. Another thing I didn't like, though, was the ending for some of the characters. Someone died. I really needed to know what happened after that, and it wasn't written. Hmph. I needed to know more, so I was a little disappointed.

I'm not going to say more about this book. I'm just unable to think of anything else at the moment, lol. I enjoyed this book a lot, but I also had a lot of issues with it, and so I didn't love it. But I am glad that I read it. And I do think you should all read it too. The mystery was interesting. But ahh. I did not like that there were so many feral dogs in this book that got murdered, in awful ways. Shudders. Winter is also getting abused, and that bothered me too, because the reason for it was beyond weird and not okay at all. Ugh.


Waiting on Wednesday #280

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

THE FALLEN KINGDOM (The Falconer #3) 
BY ELIZABETH MAY

Goodreads Description:

The long-awaited final book in the Falconer trilogy is an imaginative tour-de-force that will thrill fans of the series. Aileana Kameron, resurrected by ancient fae magic, returns to the world she once knew with no memory of her past and with dangerous powers she struggles to control. Desperate to break the curse that pits two factions of the fae against each other in a struggle that will decide the fate of the human and fae worlds, her only hope is hidden in an ancient book guarded by the legendary Morrigan, a faery of immense power and cruelty. To save the world and the people she loves, Aileana must learn to harness her dark new powers even as they are slowly destroying her. Packed with immersive detail, action, romance, and fae lore, and publishing simultaneously in the UK, The Fallen Kingdom brings the Falconer's story to an epic and unforgettable conclusion.

Hardcover, 336 pages
Expected publication: June 13th 2017 by Chronicle Books
Pre-Order here and here

Feel like I have waited so long for this book already. And it's still not out. Ahhh. I loved book one and two a whole bunch, and I simply cannot wait to know how it all ends :) Though, based on the summary, I think this book will kill me the very most. Ugh. But hoping for a happy ending, lol. Fingers crossed. Just wishing I could read it now; been waiting so long already :) Will be worth the wait, though, I'm sure. I'm so excited.
What are you waiting for on this fae Wednesday?

Monday, February 20, 2017

Cover Reveal: One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

Eee! I'm so, so excited about this book :D I loved Three Dark Crowns oh so much. Despite how really evil it was. Hmph. And that ending. Ahh. Rude. But I loved it. And gosh, I cannot wait for this final book. One Dark Throne is going to be amazing :D Eee. And the worst too, I'm sure of it, haha. I'm so nervous about romance stuff. Yet so excited too. I adore Kendare the most. Her books are all aaamazing. Sigh. And this one will be too. Is it September yet? I just cannot wait. Because ahh. This cover is so gorgeous :D I love it. And cannot wait for the UK cover too; hoping there will be more than one, as there were three covers for book one ;p Fingers crossed. Either way, it will be gorgeous too, I'm sure of it. What do you think? :)


THE BATTLE FOR THE CROWN HAS BEGUN, BUT WHICH OF THE THREE SISTERS WILL PREVAIL?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other.


Sunday, February 19, 2017

Review: Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales by Kiersten White

This book is so gorgeous. And I wanted to love it so badly. Which is why I'm so disappointed to say that I did not. I love fairy tales. And retellings are amazing. And I love middle grade books the most. Which is why I was so sure that I would love this book. As I also adore the author. But oh, I was a bit disappointed with this.

I don't think I will write such a long review of this book. Because it isn't really long, and because of the way it is told, there is not really that much to say about it. But will share my thoughts about all of it even so. I'm giving this book two stars. Aw. Makes me so sad. But I really didn't like this one much at all. Wasn't very good.

As I said, this book is all kinds of gorgeous looking. And I really did think that I would love it lots. And I do think that others might enjoy it a whole bunch, especially most children. But for me, it wasn't that good. I have read a lot of books for children that have been amazing. But I felt like this one was a bit too childish. The writing was not very good, and it was pretty boring. It's written like the writer is telling a story from her point of view, including a narrator inside the story. Which could have been amazing, but sadly I found it to be written really badly. Aw. There are supposed to be a lot of jokes included in the text, but I didn't find any of it funny. A lot of it is about spelling, and hearing words the wrong way. Which is interesting, but it wasn't interesting in this.

Sigh. Probably because I didn't find it funny that a boy had been making a soup out of pee. And had been peeing in a guest bed. That just wasn't for me at all. But I must admit that I did enjoy parts of this story. I liked that there are short stories about famous fairy tales, with different endings and such. And that they all fit together in the same kingdom. I liked that. I just didn't like any of the stories, lol. The writing was just not good for me at all. And I didn't really like the plot either. I found the ending to be pretty bad too. Sniffs.

I don't really know what to say about this book. I felt like it was really short, yet I couldn't help but wish that it had been even shorter. Aw. I'm so sad that I didn't like it much. I'm just so sad that it wasn't for me. Because I had been wanting to read it so badly and thought for sure that I would love it. But yeah, I have read tons of better written books for children, which is one of the reasons for why this one didn't work for me. But I would recommend that a lot of really younger children read it. They might love it. And might not.

This book have a vampire Snow White. And a zombie Red Riding Hood. And a really, really stupid Jack. I found some parts of it to be interesting, which is why I'm giving it two stars. But for the most part this book was too silly and not good enough. I feel sad about that. But yeah, nothing that can be done about that. It wasn't for me. Huge thank you, though, to the publisher for being all kinds of amazing and shipping this review copy to my hotel room. It means the most. Also so curious to know what others think of this book.


Saturday, February 18, 2017

In My Mailbox #276

This week have been both good and bad. Good, because I got to re-read Menagerie and then read Spectacle :D Bad, because my laptop just about died. I still haven't managed to put together any of my Chicago post. I will get it done this weekend, though, hopefully :) After I got home, I needed a few days to relax. And then when I was on my laptop one night, I did something stupid. I tried to get a program for free. Sigh. So I downloaded something I needed for that. And it turned out to be a virus. And it fucked up my whole laptop. Turns out it deleted my whole profile or whatever. Wasn't possible to open the internet or settings and nothing could be done about it. Sigh. Thankfully, I could see all my files. And save them on a portable harddisc. Tried to reset the laptop, did not work. Had to download windows 10 to an USB and put that in. Thankfully, that did work, so now my laptop is finally back together again :) Not as perfect as it was before.. but alive at least. And still the same fast and such. Just missing a few things. Hmph. Also, guessing it is karma, but the program I was trying to get for free, turns out my sister could get it to me for free, since she's a student. Ha ha ha. Ugh. So my laptop did not have to die. Sigh. But it did. And it ruined my whole week. But it's better now, at least :) And, the new 80+ pokemon have arrived in pokemon go :D And eee, I'm so excited. I got 23 different ones on Friday. So happy. And I did read two books this week. Happy about that too. Hoping to read more after the weekend :) And catch up to some shows I haven't watched in a while too. I just need the energy to do everything. Ugh. I did blog a bunch this week as well :D I posted my book recommendation of Menagerie. <3 Then my review of Spectacle :) This week I'm waiting on Lord of Shadows. <3 Then I posted the cover reveal for Before She Ignites :D This week I sadly didn't get much mail at all. Ahh. Only got one book. Gosh. I'm waiting on so much, yet nothing is arriving. Ugh. Next week, I hope that everything will arrive :) Crossing my fingers next week will be great.



Lady Midnight. I think this is the Australian paperback, maybe? Either way, it's gorgeous. Love this book.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Cover Reveal: Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows

Eee, I'm so excited about this book :D I adore Jodi beyond words. She's amazing. And this new book of hers sounds like it's going to be the most awesome. I simply cannot wait to read this precious. I wish it was September already. I'm so excited to get to know Mira :D She sounds aaamazing. And oh my god, this cover. It's stunning. I love it so much. The girl is so so pretty. And the typing is gorgeous too. And I just love all of it so much. Eee. This book is going to be so good :D Wishing I could read it right away. <3


Before

Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.

But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.

After

Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.

No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.

Jodi Meadows’s new Fallen Isles series blazes with endangered magic, slow-burn romance, and inner fire.


Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday #279

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

LORD OF SHADOWS (The Dark Artifices #2) 
BY CASSANDRA CLARE

Goodreads Description:

Sunny Los Angeles can be a dark place indeed in Cassandra Clare’s Lord of Shadows, the sequel to the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Lady Midnight.

Emma Carstairs has finally avenged her parents. She thought she’d be at peace. But she is anything but calm. Torn between her desire for her parabatai Julian and her desire to protect him from the brutal consequences of parabatai relationships, she has begun dating his brother, Mark. But Mark has spent the past five years trapped in Faerie; can he ever truly be a Shadowhunter again?

And the faerie courts are not silent. The Unseelie King is tired of the Cold Peace, and will no longer concede to the Shadowhunters’ demands. Caught between the demands of faerie and the laws of the Clave, Emma, Julian, and Mark must find a way to come together to defend everything they hold dear—before it’s too late.


Hardcover, 704 pages
Expected publication: May 23rd 2017 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pre-Order here and here

I'm not sure I will survive this book. It's going to break me into a million pieces, I'm sure of it. Sniffs. I loved book one so much. Lady Midnight was amazing. And I adore Cassie so, so much. But god. This book. I'm unsure how I will feel about it all. I mean, I know I will love it like crazy. But I also know that I will be beyond upset. I mean. Just read that summary. "dating Mark." I just. I won't be okay with it. With her kissing Mark. Which I'm sure she will. And I just. I can't take it. Sniffs. Julian does not deserve this. It is the only thing that would hurt him more than he could bear. He said that. Yet Emma is still doing this. I mean, she's doing it for a reason, I know, but that doesn't mean I'm okay with it. Hmph. But anyway. I'm hoping that maybe it isn't as bad as I'm imagining.. ugh. We'll see :D Either way, though, I know that I will love most of this book. Eee. And 700+ pages :D I'm so so excited. See my cover reveal post for it here :)
What are you waiting for on this dark Wednesday?

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Review: Spectacle by Rachel Vincent

I'm so happy to finally have gotten to read this sequel. Feels like I have waited forever already to know what would happen after Menagerie, lol. I'm so thrilled to say that I loved this book beyond words. Was everything I wanted this to be and more. Okay, fine, the romance I wanted wasn't included, but everything else was.

The writing is gorgeous in this book too, and I loved that a whole bunch. Once I started reading this one, I couldn't stop until I had finished it. While there were a few things that bothered me a lot, I loved this book so much. I'm giving it five stars. Because it was all kinds of interesting and exciting and I just loved it all so much.

I just so wish that this one had been even longer. Because that ending just about killed me. So rude. Yet so perfect and not a bad cliffhanger. I'm just not sure I can survive the wait for book three, haha. I know that one will be amazing. And hoping it will have what was missing from this one. Oh, how I hope so. Will be crossing all my fingers. But anyway. Spectacle was an incredible book. I loved everything about it, except for one small part. But the rest was amazing. Sigh. And horrible, of course, like Menagerie was. But so perfect. I loved it all. I loved that this book is also mostly from the point of view of Delilah, and sometimes a few other amazing characters. It was just the best. I loved getting to read a bit from some of my favorite characters too. Yay.

There is also sort of a recap in the early pages of just about everything that happened in book one, which will be good for those who did not re-read, but considering I did re-read book one first, I found this to be highly annoying. Ack. Yet it didn't last long, and I did love reading about it all again. Just didn't need it. But besides that, the writing was stunning. And I'm so happy about that. This book takes place three months after the end of book one. And I loved that too; but I did also want to read about those missing months.

So much is happening in this amazing sequel. I don't know how to talk about it all. I shall try to mention some of it. There are new characters, though we don't get to know them that well. I did like reading about them all, however. One of them ended up dead, which made me a tiny bit sad, lol. But still, didn't feel too badly about it even so. This one also takes place in a whole new place, which was pretty terrifying. Yet I adored it lots at the same time. It was interesting to get to know this horrible place and all the people too.

The plot in this book is about the menagerie with Delilah running it being captured. And they are all taken. The new place they end up in is all kinds of different from the menagerie. It's way worse in most ways. And better in other ways. But either way, they are all captives again, after having just taken their freedom back. Aw. It was simply all kinds of heartbreaking to read about. I adored all of these characters so much. And reading about them hurting and being hurt was the worst thing. It hurt so badly. Yet written so good.

I'm not going to say much about the plot. Just they Delilah and everyone else is spending most of this one just trying to survive in this new place. Trying to survive he horrible owner, whom is renting out the creatures. And it is so brutal and awful to read about. Yet so interesting too, and I couldn't help but love it all. I adored reading more about Gallagher too. He is my favorite character. I loved how protective he is of Delilah, how he would do anything for her. Still no romance, but I still feel it between them, growing, lol.

I must mention something. Because it's bothering me a little bit. Okay, it's bothering me like crazy, and I don't think I will forget about it for quite some time. This will be a bit spoilery. In the middle of the book, Delilah wakes up, having just forgotten eight weeks of time. And this ruined my heart. Because she had forgotten this huge moment, and I needed to read about it, and now I won't, and I just. I hope it will be mentioned in book three. Because I need these missing memories more than I can say. All the sobs.

But yeah, it was an amazing plot twist, for sure. But I also wish it hadn't happened. Because we missed so much and that bothers me a lot. The memory loss didn't have to be included, I don't feel like, because I didn't think the reason for why it happened was good enough. Aw. Hoping it will be a big deal in book three. Fingers crossed. But anyway. I loved this book so, so much. Despite all of this. I just adored Delilah the very most. She's still so strong and kind and I just love her to pieces. And all her powers too. Eee.

Huge thank you to the publisher for accepting my request to read this book early via Netgalley. Means the most to me. So glad I didn't have to wait longer to read it. And so glad that I read it just now. Because this book was all kinds of amazing. If you still haven't read book one, Menagerie, then get moving. Because it's amazing. I simply loved Spectacle beyond words. It's an incredible sequel filled with excitement and mysteries and horrible people. There was so much to love about it. And I loved it all. You must read this.


Monday, February 13, 2017

Book Recommendation: Menagerie by Rachel Vincent


This is my second time reading this book. And oh, how I love it. I think I loved it even more this second time I read it. When I got the chance to read book two early, I knew I had to re-read this first book right away. And oh, how I am glad that I did. I had forgotten a few things, and I just loved reading it all again. This book is beyond heartbreaking. And full of awful scenes. Yet it is also one of the best books I have read. The writing is stunning. The characters are amazing. And I love the story so much too. Great book.

There is just so much I love about this book. I'm not going to talk too much about it this time, because I don't think I have the words to describe how amazing this book is. I don't usually read adult books at all, but with this one, I'm so glad that I gave it a try. Because it is simply stunning. And I love everything about it so much. Eee. I mean, it's horrible most of the time, but I couldn't help but love it all. So thrilled that I loved the writing so much. And so thrilled with how well written all the characters were. It was so good.

This book tells the story of Delilah. She's visiting the menagerie on her birthday, despite not wanting to go, because oh, this menagerie thing is pretty horrible. They keep creatures locked up and forces them to perform. This world is like an alternative to ours, only with lots of different creatures involved. There are werewolves and griffins and mermaids and fae and so many others. Which is normal in this world. And oh so awesome. Except they are all being hunted because of something that happened in the past. Ack.

Which means that things for the cryptids are not good at all. And it broke my heart to read about it. I won't describe it all, because it's amazing to read about, but yeah. This book is all kinds of interesting. Yet so horrible too. This book just about killed me both times that I read it. All the creatures are being treated so horribly. Abused and tortured and starved and so much more. It broke my heart. I wanted someone to save them. And then Delilah ends up being one of them. In such an interesting and awful way. I loved it.

"You must break her, Gallagher. She is the spark, and if that
spark kindles, it will burn my menagerie to the ground."

I won't say more than that, but gosh, Delilah is all kinds of special. She didn't know she wasn't human, and when it was revealed her whole world crashed down. She lost her boyfriend and friends and family and home and every single thing. She then gets sold to the menagerie. And ahh. This story is just beyond incredible. It's the most heartbreaking and evil thing too. So many awful things happen. So many people get hurt. Delilah too. It's so sad. Yet there is hope too. A lot of it. And that is why I loved this one so much.

I'm not going to say much more about this book. Just that it is all kinds of amazing. And I loved reading about how strong Delilah was. She was so brave and she never gave up or gave in. I loved that about her. Even when she got hurt a lot, she did not stop being who she was. I also adored her mom. Aw. Her friends, not so much. But oh, all the characters in this book. They were all amazing to read about. Though I must admit that I wanted to murder so many of those evil men all the time. They were truly the worst.

There is no romance in this book, but that's okay. Though, I must admit that I ship Delilah and Gallagher beyond words. They start such an amazing friendship, sort of. And I want more between them so badly. They are both adorable. Loved getting to know his story. It's different and all kinds of awesome. Sigh, I just loved re-reading this book so much. I loved everything about it. Cannot wait to read book two shortly. If you guys still haven't read Menagerie, you are seriously missing out. Yes, it hurts to read, but it's good.

 

Saturday, February 11, 2017

In My Mailbox #275

Finally back home and blogging again :D Yay! This post is going to be all kinds of huge. Just letting you know :D The first picture is stuff I got in the mail while I was gone. <3 And the next three pictures are things I got and bought while in Chicago :D Eee. I'm in love with all of it. SO MUCH. Gosh. Where will I fit it all? Ugh. No more room :( Sad face. But I couldn't not get it all.. hah. I love it. <3 So anyway. I'm back from Chicago :) It was pretty good. I shall share more about it in a different blog post, though, once I feel up to writing it. Shall share some pictures then too :) But yeah. Now back home, and hopefully starting to catch up shortly :D And reading more too. And doing other things too. Finally it is light enough to take pretty pictures, so yesss :D Happy about that. I'm doing pretty good. Health always sucks, but I'm doing good. Despite some awful news that arrived today. Oh. Hoping it will work out, though. Fingers crossed, please. Anyway. I have blogged a little bit since last time I posted an IMM :) I shared my review of Carve the Mark. <3 Last week I was waiting on Shadow Run :) This week I'm waiting on The Girl with the Ghost Machine :D And I shared my review of The Pearl Thief. I just got so so many things lately :D And eee, I just love it all the most. So happy. Despite the no room issues :) I'm re-reading Menagerie next; can't wait.



Caraval. I'm hopeful about this book :) I think I will love it. Just hoping that I will, haha. Fingers crossed.
The Dark Days Pact. I'm unsure about when I will read this one. Sigh. Did not like peeking at it.. aw :\
The Burning World. I loved book one years ago. I must re-read it soon :) Hope I will love this one as well.
The Unwanteds: Quests. I must must must finish the original 7 books soon, so that I can read this too :D
Starfall. Hoping that I will love this one lots :D Hopefully reading it soonish. It's so gorgeous, though. <3
Wires and Nerve. Ahhh :D So excited to read this one soon. <3 It's going to be amazing. I cannot wait :D
All the Missing Girls. Gorgeous UK and US paperback edition :D They are both so awesome. Love this.
Wintersong. Hoping that I will love this one. So much. Fingers crossed :) Either way, it's just so gorgeous.
Traitor to the Throne. Such a stunning UK finished copy :D I shall wait for my hardcover before I read ;p
Heartless. Yay :D The gorgeous new UK paperback edition. <3 This cover is just stunning. So much love.
Wayfarer swag. Ahh! I'm so happy with all of these pre-order swag :D GORGEOUS. Thank you Alex. <3
Daughter of the Pirate King swag. Yay :D Such gorgeous pre-order swag. <3 Thank you Tricia :D Eee.
Happy Hello Bookmarks. They are just gorgeous. Eee :D Supernatural and Heartless and Kaz + Inej. <3
Pop Figures. Eee :D They are all amazing. The Blacklist :D Twilight :D Moana :D Maleficent :D Love. <3




Books. EEEE! Thank you so, so much to Josh at Penguin Random House for sending me these 9 amazing YA and MG books to my hotelroom in Chicago :D Eee! I'm so so so excited to read them. <3 They are all new to me, but they all sound amazing; I cannot wait to read them. Thank you the most :)
Beanstalker. ACK! Thank you so much to Samantha at Scholastic for shipping this one to my hotelroom :D Eee! I'm beyond excited. I'm going to love this book so much and ahh. Thank you :D Cannot wait.
Miraculous Ladybug. Eee! These are all awesome :D I love this show so much. This is the third DVD. <3 So pretty. So glad I found it. And some toys too :D Didn't find the rest.. but loving these so so much :)
Crooked Kingdom. I found one Target with books :D Eee! So glad I got this, only for the poster, haha :D As I already own tons of copies of the book. <3 So happy with it. Eee. And bought the arrows for this ;)
Plushes. I love plush animals. And these are just the cutest :D Grumpy Cat! EEE! She's adorable. And the tiny dog. Love. And bukowski monkey. And cute leopard from the zoo :D Love. And Tinker Bell croc. <3 And small Zootopia babies :D I'm in love with them all. So happy. I just love buying plushes, haha :D


Pop. EEE! I'm so in love with all of these :D Found just about every special Hot Topic editions that I wanted. So so happy. Sigh. They are all gorgeous. Sadly, Target was a pretty shitty place in Downtown Chicago, so still looking for Target editions of some :( And Walmart. That did not exist in Downtown: Ugh. I want those for Moana and others so badly. Sigh. But anyway :D Love all of these pop figures so much.
Tsum Tsum. I wanted so many more, aw, but they did not have old ones at Disney.. sigh. Disappointing. But I did get the Aristocats :D They are adorable. Also got a few fake? ones from Target, just couldn't help but buy them. <3 And then the TY tsum tsum plushes. From the movie Pets :D And others that I adore.
Tangled Lego. I wanted to buy more lego, but could only get this one :) It's adorable. I love Tangled lots.
Disney Princesses. Eee! I could not resist buying this set of these figures :D They are beyond adorable.
Disney Key. On our first Disney Store visit, we got there before ten. I got to open the store, lol. Love this.
Figures. Well. I got tons of different figure packages, hoping to get someone awesome, as I couldn't see who I bought. And aw. I'm pretty disappointed with all of them :( With Moana and Harry Potter and Disney and Villains and Supernatural. I mean, I love those I did get, but did not get the ones I wanted :\ Oh, well. I tried at least :) And ee, Harry Potter pins :D Saw them, had to get them. So cute. And the ball! Awesome to squeeze on. So glad I found it, after Melissa shared about it :) It's weird, yet awesome. I love it all so.
Supernatural. Eee! I got a few Supernatural things at Hot Topic :D Wishing I had gotten more, but gosh, I love these that I did buy. Sigh. They are all just awesome. Love the two Bitch/Jerk items. <3 Love it all.



Moana. Just about all the Moana stuff I bought in Chicago :D Eee! I'm in love with all of them. <3 Gorgeous dolls. Gorgeous figures. And ahh, I got the ornaments for $10 :D Found them on sale. SO happy. They were crazy expensive to buy online, so so glad I found them. Eee. And all the plushes :D They are the cutest. Just, sigh. I love all of this so much. This movie is the best. And all of these items means the most to me :) Wishing I could have gotten the Maui doll too, but he was pretty huge and so so heavy. And expensive. Maybe some other time, though ;) So pleased that I found most of what I wanted.


Now I Rise. Oh. So excited for this one :D But, well, I peeked. Not fully happy. So unsure when I'll read it.
Spectacle. Eee! I am SO EXCITED. Re-reading book one. Cannot wait for this one. I peeked. Eee. Yess.
The Pearl Thief. I was pretty excited about this one :D Sadly, it wasn't all that good, but it's so gorgeous.
Missing. I just heard about this book a couple of days ago. Saw it then on ng. CANNOT wait to read it :D


More Instagram photos here. <3

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Review: The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein

I'm trying to decide how I felt about this book. I'm still unsure. I have read a few books by this author now, and I have liked them all a whole lot. And I was pretty excited about reading this one, since it is the prequel to Code Name Verity. But, well, I didn't love it. Aw. And I'm so disappointed about that. But I did like it. Mostly.

I just had some things that I didn't like about it. I'm not sure how to describe it all. But I shall try. First I must admit to remember just about zero details about Code Name Verity. Gosh. It hasn't been that long since I read it. Okay, four years already, ack. And so I don't remember any of the details about the main girl. Hmph.

Which makes me so sad, because now I'm even more curious about her, having read this book. Hmph. Thinking about maybe re-reading it, but I'm not sure I would love it as much this time around, and I'm not really sure I want to read it again, with that ending. Ugh. But yeah, I did enjoy that earlier book a whole lot. But anyway. This one. I enjoyed the plot a whole bunch. I found the mystery to be all kinds of interesting and horrible and I liked reading about it so much. I just. I didn't like the romance. At all. I shall write more about that soon. But I did like Julie, for the most part. She was pretty sweet and I loved getting to know her. Her family was the best too. I adored them all. The other characters in this book were pretty interesting too, most of the time.

I'm giving this book three stars. Because I had some issues with it. Aw. But I also did enjoy the story. I found the mystery to be all kinds of awesome. I loved trying to figure out who it was that had hurt Julie, that made her lose her memory of it, and put her in the hospital for days. Wish it had focused more on that, but I enjoyed it even so. It was so interesting to read about. Loved reading about how she got hurt, and how she healed, and who helped her. It was pretty awesome to figure out. And written really well too.

I did like the writing in this book. It was easy to read. Though I didn't really understand some of the words at times. Hmph. But still, the writing was good. There is a second mystery in this book as well, because a man has gone missing. And that was all kinds of interesting to read about too. So many clues, yet not that easy to figure it all out even so. This book is a bit too much disgusting at times, lol, with how a dead body was found. Bothered me a little. It wasn't too bad, but yeah, just a little too many details about it all. Ack.

There are a bunch of things about this book that I enjoyed. Like the time period it was set in. So exciting and interesting to read about. And the place too. Sigh. It seemed like such an awesome place. And ahh, fishing for pearls. It sounded so amazing and I did enjoy reading about it a whole bunch. And reading about the Travellers too. I hated how they were treated by some people. It was horrible. But they were such amazing characters to read about. I loved getting to know all of them. They were pretty special.

There are so many people in this book. There is this one librarian. At times I hated her. But at times I really loved her too. She's a bit special, and I loved that about her. But gosh. Julie could be so mean about it at times. At least she understood when she was being mean, though, but yeah. It bothered me. Julie has a lot of brothers. We only get to read about two of them, but oh gosh, they were both awesome and sweet and I loved getting to know them too. I loved her mother and grandmother too. So awesome.

There are also two siblings that she gets to know. Ellen and Euan. I adored getting to read about them both and I loved them both so much. Was a bit harder to love Ellen, as she wasn't all that nice at first, but I did end up liking her a lot. I just wish we could have gotten to know Euan a whole bunch more. Sigh. I felt like he could have been such an amazing character, because of something that happens with him, but yeah, this book didn't have much about him at all, which was a bit disappointing. Aw. I did love them both.

Okay. So. Time to talk spoilers. About why I did not love this book. About why I'm so conflicted about my feelings for it. Sigh. I need to spoil about it, because I have to write about it, because it's bothering me. One thing that bothered me a lot in this book was the scenes of almost rape. Both Julie and Ellen almost gets raped. At different times, by different older men. It was all kinds of disturbing and I wish it hadn't been included. They weren't raped, but almost, and it wasn't good to read about. Made me so sad too.

And then there is the romance in this book. Or lack of romance, to be more correct. The ending isn't all that happy, but it is a good ending, I suppose, unless you know what happens in Code Name Verity. Haha. But yeah. The romance in this book wasn't very good. I mean, I loved that Julie likes boys and girls. But I hated beyond words that she kisses six different people in this book. And she also starts a relationship with a man above thirty, while she isn't yet sixteen. That is simply not okay It bothered me.

Sigh. Okay. Not sharing more about that. Just had to write my thoughts about it. Still giving this book a three star, though those issues of mine makes me want to give it two stars. Aw. Also because I found the book to be a little bit boring, but yeah. I did love a lot of the plot in this one, and so I feel like a three star is the best. Probably. I'm unsure. I wish this book had been better, though. But I also did like it for the most part; it was good. I think you should all read The Pearl Thief; as it was pretty interesting and mysterious.


Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday #278

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

THE GIRL WITH THE GHOST MACHINE 
BY LAUREN DESTEFANO

Goodreads Description:

What if a machine could bring back the ones we love? From New York Times bestseller Lauren DeStefano comes a captivating middle grade of loss, love and hope.

In this beautiful and poignant novel, acclaimed author Lauren DeStefano tells a story love and loss, and what it means to say goodbye.

When Emmaline Beaumont's father started building the ghost machine, she didn't expect it to bring her mother back from the dead. But by locking himself in the basement to toil away at his hopes, Monsieur Beaumont has become obsessed with the contraption and neglected the living, and Emmaline is tired of feeling forgotten.

Nothing good has come from building the ghost machine, and Emmaline decides that the only way to bring her father back will be to make the ghost machine work…or destroy it forever.


Hardcover, 224 pages
Expected publication: June 6th 2017 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pre-Order here and here

Oh, how I am excited about this book. I want it noooow. I adore the middle grade books by Lauren. Her first two were beyond amazing. And this third one sounds SO GOOD. Sniffs. And it looks awesome too. And I just. I will love this book so much. I just know it. And ee, I just wish I could read it right now. Hmph.
What are you waiting for on this ghost Wednesday?