Book Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

“The villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key. He was the one who let me out.”

“I was looking for you, too.”

Get ready for the world’s biggest scattered, turn-around from my original review for the first book, because this book CHANGED IT ALL.

Rating: ★★★★★

Let me just say…I have never felt like this before. Never have I been SO COMPLETELY & UTTERLY WRONG about what I thought I wanted and loved. I’m just gonna warn you, this review will probably reference my review for ACOTAR a lot, which you can find here, because frankly, I need to make fun of my past self, and shake my head in disbelief until it detaches from my neck. Graphic? IT’S THAT AMAZING.

Since this is a sequel, I’m heading straight into the spoiler-y section, & I don’t want to spoil anyone that hasn’t read it, so IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THIS BOOK, RUN TO YOUR BOOKSHELF OR BOOKSTORE & READ IT. And if you haven’t read the first book, DEVOUR IT SO YOU CAN READ THIS ONE. Ok, I’m gonna talk about the book now. Ok, bye people who haven’t read it! ❤

Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

“The truth is what I make it. I could set this world on fire and call it rain.”

Rating: ★★★★

Let me just say…I did not see this coming. I went into this book fully prepared to not give into the hype. THERE ARE SO MANY MIXED REVIEWS, I was kind of frightened/slightly curious to see in what camp I’d land in. Well, darn it, here I am. I really liked this book! I put off reading this book FOREVER, even after my best friend pushed it on me for what feels like years (but is probably like 1 year). Now, I will say, it WAS very similar to a LOT of series I’ve read before, and the world building was confusing at times, so that’s why I’m giving the book a 4/5 stars, but the story it self was very fun and exciting.

I’m having a really hard time cataloguing this book in one genre, because it’s basically a dystopian book, with a lot of fantasy elements in it. For those of you who don’t know what this book is about, it’s basically the story of a girl named Mare Barrow who lives in a society where you’re separated by your blood type; either you’re Silver (aka the badasses, who run the world with their special abilities, some could call it magic, but it’s really more a specific ability), or you’re Red, who are the people who don’t have any abilities, and are treated like dirt, the lowest of the lows, and who live in terrible conditions. Mare, who is a Red, despises the Silvers, but one day finds herself working alongside them when she unlocks a powers inside herself that she didn’t realize she had. As damage control, she’s thrust upon the world of royalty, and she has to pretend to be something she’s not in order to save herself and her loved ones.

That’s basically what Red Queen is about, I’m about to go into the spoilery details, so if you have not read this book yet, go do so, so we can discuss!

april wrap up & book haul // 2016

It’s gonna be maaaay. Had to do it. I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE.

This month was very hectic, so I didn’t do too much reading, apart from the fact that I’ve been fighting off a reading slump, what feels like FOREVER, so having completed any amount of books is a treat.

Let’s get started with the WRAP UP.

So this month I read FOUR books, AND I really enjoyed all of them! None of them WOWED me, but I did enjoy them, and three of the books I read I had been VERY hesitant to read, so the fact that I enjoyed them makes me very happy.
So this month I read FOUR books, AND I really enjoyed all of them! None of them WOWED me, but I did enjoy them, and three of the books I read I had been VERY hesitant to read, so the fact that I enjoyed them makes me very happy.

Book Review: A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

“I do not know why you two are circling each other like stars. It is not my cosmic dance.”

Rating: ★★★★

This book was sort of fantastic. I was sold on it because a good friend said it was a mix between Harry Potter & Pirates of the Caribbean…two of my most favorite things in the entire world. I was not disappointed.

The story picks up four months after A Darker Shade of Magic ended, and it was a thrilling sequel, I enjoyed it more than its predecessor, because it was more action-packed, it was funnier, and had A LOT more of Rhy, which I appreciated. He brought humor, and charm, which I thought the first book lacked A BIT.

I can’t really say a lot without spoiling, since this is a sequel, but if you haven’t read the first book, I have a full review on it, which you can find here.

The Outlander Book Tag

I saw this tag created by Sasha on BookTube, and it had my name written ALL
over it, so I was not wasting a single second in doing it. As soon as I saw it on her channel, I picked up my phone and texted my bestie Vee over at florals & dragons, fellow Outlander Lover, so we could both feature the tag on our blogs, because, well, Outlander is basically our entire life, we obsess over it a little too much, and we’re not ashamed. Anyways, check out HER answers here!

Let’s get on with the tag, because I literally can’t wait. (PS. I’m going to TRY to not answer all of these questions Outlander, because let’s get real, it could be the answer to all of them, but I’ll try my hardest to think of other answers!)

➳ YOU TOUCH SOME STANDING STONES AND GET TRANSPORTED BACK IN TIME, WHAT YEAR WOULD YOU HOPE TO LAND IN?

I’d REALLY hope to land in the Victorian Era, in England. I love the culture, the history, the area, the outfits, EVERYTHING about that time. UGH I WANT IT SO BAD, PLEASE FATE, MAKE IT HAPPEN.

The Versatile Blogger Award

Thank you, Celine, my wonderful spirit animal from celinereads and Yasaman from Following Muses for nominating me for The Versatile Blogger Award!

Rules:

➳ Show the award on your blog
➳ Thank the person who has nominated you
➳ Share 7 different facts about yourself
➳ Nominate 15 different blogs of your choice
➳ Link your nominees to let them know of your choice

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➳ I’m in an unhealthy, obsessive relationship with Hamilton (the musical).

In case you weren’t aware of the extent of my obsession, I even made a Hamilton Book Tag post, because I just don’t have any chill. If you’re interested, you can find it here!

➳ I’m obsessed with binge-watching shows on netflix

My favorite thing to do, apart from reading, sleeping, eating, and breathing, is watch tv shows. When I get obsessed with a show, like hardcore obsessed, I will lose MULTIPLE days of sleep in order to finish said show. My absolute favorites are Charmed, Once Upon a Time, How to Get Away With Murder, Gilmore Girls, Friends, 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, New Girl, The Office, Parks and Recreation & Jane the Virgin (I’m probably missing like 10,000 others, but these are the top of the top).

Book Review: Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell

“He handed her a movie-theater cup, one of the new Star Wars ones. ‘Tonight you can pee in a collector’s item'”.

Rating: ★★★★

I just finished reading Kindred Spirits. Literally like 30 seconds ago. I’m in SHOCK. I always forget I’m reading a “Rainbow Rowell Ending” when I reach the ending of Rainbow Rowell’s books.

Before I go into spoiler-y details, let me tell you a bit about Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell. This story follows a girl by the name of Elena who is very passionate about the Star Wars films because she was raised on the films. We follow Elena as she waits FOUR DAYS in line to see the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens. She goes to the line having this expectation that its going be this wild Star Wars party, with lots of Star Wars fans, but when she gets there, she realizes it might not be what she had imagined, when she realizes there’s only two other people there.

I went into this short story thinking it was going to be a straight-up love story, but it really wasn’t… I mean, I think it was deeper than that because it touched base with topics like judging a book by its cover, and the bond you can have with people over something that you’re passionate about.

I’m going to start the spoiler-y details, so if you haven’t read this short story yet, DO SO, because it’ll literally take you like an hour. And it’s so worth it.

march wrap up & book haul // 2016

So, this MONTH. THIS MONTH WAS FANTASTIC, because I read some of my favorite books EVER this month. Don’t worry, I won’t keep the suspense going on for too long.

As soon as Gilmore Girls gave me my life back (because I ran out of episodes), I picked up my reading habits once again, and was able to read more, but still I don’t have too many books to show you.

Let’s get started with the WRAP UP.

This month I read three books, same as last month. I’m not too disappointed in myself, because at least I REALLY enjoyed these books, and I was in a major reading slump.

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

“You look … better than before.”
Was that a compliment? I could have sworn Lucien gave Tamlin an encouraging nod.
“And you hair is … clean.”

“I love you,’ he whispered, and kissed my brow. ‘Thorns and all.”

“I threw myself into that fire, threw myself into it, into him, and let myself burn.”

“Ah. The Suriel told you nothing important, did it?” That smile of his sparked something bold in my chest. “He also said that you liked being brushed, and if I’m a clever girl, I might train you with treats.”

(Sorry for all the quotes I COULDN’T DECIDE, DON’T MAKE ME.)

Rating: ★★★★★

This is one of the most outstanding books I’ve ever read.

Starting of with the fact that ACOTAR is a retelling of one of my favorites love stories ever, The Beauty and The Beast, you already KNOW my feelings will explode all over this book.

Basically, this PHENOMENAL book is the first book in a new New Adult (NA) fantasy series that blends fairy tale retellings with fairy lore. While this one is a retelling of The Beauty & the Beast, the other books will have elements of other fairytales. We follow a 19 year old huntress named Feyre, who kills a wolf in the woods to feed her family, and after that “tiny” incident, a beast shows up at her house, demanding Feyre’s life for the one she took, but instead of killing her, he takes her into his home in the fae territory.

This story is beautiful, romantic, steamy, filled with drama, fairy politics, revenge, heartbreak, and just about everything you could ever ask for. The story and the writing just kept gripping me page to page, I ended up reading the entire book in a sitting. Yes, you read that correctly. In one sitting. I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN. The wonderfulness that escapes every sentence, graced upon us by Queen Maas, is an unadulterated, raw, pure kind of perfection. The story is a beautiful rendition of a classic tale, made new again thanks to Maas’ incredible mind.

Ok, I’m about to unleash all my spoiler-y feels, so if you haven’t read this book, maybe stop now, so I won’t ruin this MAGNIFICENT BOOK for you!

LET’S GET TO THE CHARACTERS:

The Hamilton Book Tag

So, in case you weren’t aware… Hamilton has basically taken over my life. Everything revolves around Hamilton. I reference it daily (even when I know the person I’m talking to won’t understand, but I’m mentally high-fiving myself anyways), listen to it from the moment I wake up, all day, until I go to sleep, & fantasize about sitting in the actual theater watching the musical.

In case you’re still living under a rock, which props to you if you are because being unaware of Hamilton this long deserves a round of applause, Hamilton is a musical on
Broadway all about Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s Founding Fathers, the American Revolution, and basically the formation of our government.

I was tagged on my bookstagram, so I decided to make a blog post out of this tag because NOBODY SHOULD EXPECT ME TO CONDENSE MY FEELS IN AN INSTAGRAM CAPTION. (thank you @languageofrebellion for tagging me!)

Ok, LET’S GET STARTED. For a better experience, I recommend listening along to the musical. Trust. Me. It’s fun.