September Book Haul

September has been a busy month for me with being back at school but I still managed to buy a few books. There is no where near the amount I had last month but that's okay because I really don't want my TBR pile to get any bigger! Anyway these are the books I bought this month...

Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I finished Origin at the beginning of September and I immediately bought Opposition and finished it within a few days. I LOVE the Lux series, its a great mixture of action and romance and the dialogue is brilliant and makes the books so much fun to read. What I want to know now though is where can you find a Daemon Black?!

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Talk about patience I waited an extra week for my copy of Heir of Fire to come as I ordered a signed edition which was worth the wait and is now probably my prized possession. I read Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight at the beginning of the summer and I've been so excited to get my hands on this book, I'm currently reading it right now and it feels so good to back in the world.

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

This is another book that I was so excited to get my hands on. I read The 5th Wave when it came out last year and have been eagerly anticipating the release of the sequel. I haven't got around to reading it yet but I am super excited for it, even if it is only half the size of the first book! I loved The 5th Wave a lot so hopefully The Infinite Sea will be just as good.

The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

I love Cassandra Clare and even though I haven't read anything by Holly Black I've heard she's an amazing author, so of course I had to get this book. Even though I don't know too much about this book I think I'm going to really enjoy it as it includes magic which I love. I can't wait to read it to find out more of what this book series is going to be about.

After last month I said I wasn't going to buy any books in September and that obviously failed, I just can't help myself! I'm not going to even say the same for next month because I know I'll end up buying a book even if it is just one. Thankyou for reading!

Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Review may contain small spoilers for the Bloodlines series
If you haven't read the Bloodlines series (or Vampire Academy) I highly recommend them!

Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead
Synopsis:
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.
In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.
Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive. 
For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .
Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth instalment in the New York Times best-selling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Silver Shadows is the 5th instalment in the Bloodlines series and it is by far the most intense, heart wrenching book out of the five. I was expecting some heart stopping moments after the cliff hanger at the end of The Fiery Heart but I wasn’t quite fully prepared to feel so terrified for both Sydney and Adrian. Silver Shadows is very different from the other four books, mainly because of the different settings and the interactions with different characters. Even though I love reading about the little group in Palm Springs, it was nice to move away from that setting. I found it interesting seeing Court through Adrian’s eyes as Lord Ivashkov but also seeing Sydney’s experiences in the completely different world of re-education.

Speaking of re-education, I never imagined it to be that bad! It was completely horrific and I couldn't believe the methods that the Alchemists used on "corrupted" souls. You have to hand it to Sydney though, she was amazing throughout this book and I was constantly in awe at her strength. Even though she was going through a lot in re-education, she still wanted to help her fellow prisoners which made me admire her even more. I love how far Sydney has come throughout these books, from the time we first met her in Blood Promise when she was petrified of Rose to now when she's in a relationship with a vampire, the development she’s gone through as a character is remarkable.

Just like Sydney, Adrian has also grown so much as a character. I was expecting him to fall apart in this book and even though I love him a lot he did frustrate me slightly a little and in the first half of the book I just wanted to shake some sense into him. But to give him credit he does pick himself back up which shows how far he has come, and his use of spirit in this book, as worrying as it is, was pretty cool and heroic.

Even though Adrian and Sydney aren’t together for a majority of this book, Silver Shadows definitely focuses more on them and their relationship than the other characters in the story. They both have to deal with a lot in this book and they are tested both as individuals and as a couple, which shows in the end how strong they are.

Overall Silver Shadows was a captivating and pulse pounding read. Richelle Mead manages to balance the dark and the light moments perfectly and the character development that happens throughout these books is phenomenal. I am very excited to read the last book, The Ruby Circle, which comes out next year as the ending to Silver Shadows has left me wondering what will go down in the last book and how the series will conclude.

Top 5 Most Owned Authors

Hello! I started my second and final year of college a couple of weeks ago so my time has been spent doing homework, getting started in lessons and sorting out university applications. It's been a bit hectic but hopefully now I have my routine sorted out so that I can blog more! Even though I've had a lot of work to do for college I still managed to squeeze in time for reading so hopefully a lot more reviews will be coming soon.

When I was admiring my bookcase the other day (which is something I usually do everyday) I noticed that I had a lot of books by the same authors, so I'm going to tell you my top 5 most owned authors...

5. My fifth most owned author is Jennifer L. Armentrout. I had a lot of authors with 5 books on my shelf but I have 6 of Jennifer L. Armentrout's books and I hope to get a lot more soon. I have recently finished the Lux series and I loved it so much, it was so good and I can't wait to read more of her books. I love her writing style as it is so fun to read and I laughed a lot whilst reading the Lux series.
Books I own - The Lux series, Don't Look Back


4. Number four is Cassandra Clare. I have 9 of her books and I love them a lot, the world she created is amazing and her writing is wonderful and funny. I'm so excited for the next two series that will be based in the shadow hunter world as I just love it so much!
Books I own - The Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices Series

3. At number 3 is J.K Rowling. I own 10 of her books, all of them to do with Harry Potter. The Harry Potter series is by far my favourite series ever and I admire J.K Rowling a lot for writing them and for creating a truly amazing world and characters.
Books I own - The Harry Potter Series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Spanish, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Tales of Beedle the Bard

2. My second most owned author is Richelle Mead. Her books are so fun to read and her characters are fantastic, I often find myself laughing at some of the dialogue the characters say. I have just finished Silver Shadows the fifth book in the Bloodlines series and now I cannot wait for The Ruby Circle which is being released next year!
Books I own - The Vampire Academy Series, Bloodlines, The Golden Lily, The Indigo Spell, The Fiery Heart, Silver Shadows

1. My most owned author is Lemony Snicket. I own 13 of his books which are all part of The Series of Unfortunate events. I've mentioned in a previous blog post that I have the hardback box set of this series which was my pride and joy as a child and I remember thoroughly enjoying reading them when I was younger.
Books I own - The Series of Unfortunate Events

Just because these are my top 5 most owned authors it doesn't necessarily make them my favourite, I'll definitely do a blog post on my favourite authors in the future though!

Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott
Synopsis:
Time is slipping away.... 
Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.
Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.
The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

When I first picked up this book I thought it would be a copy of The Hunger Games, and in some ways it was similar but in others it was totally original and creative. Before Fire & Flood I had never read a book by Victoria Scott so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, and boy was I in for a surprise. I really loved this book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, as its such an exciting, compelling story with an interesting plot and fantastic characters.

Tella, the main character, enters a race called the Brimstone Bleed, where the winner receives a cure for any illness which could save her dying brother. All the contestants in the race have a ‘Pandora’ which is some sort of animal with cool super powers that aids them throughout the different ecosystems they have to race through. In Fire & Flood the characters battle through two of the four environments that make up the race, the jungle and the desert. Both of these settings were brought to life and were incredibly vivid, making it so easy to envision and feel like a part of.

Tella is a typical teenage girl to start out with, she isn't much of an outdoors women but she’ll do anything to help her brother and that’s why she enters the Brimstone Bleed. Throughout the book you get to see her grow and become tough but at the same time she stays relatable. We meet a lot of other characters in this book as loads of people are given the opportunity to participate in the race. All the supporting characters were well developed and real, I enjoyed reading the interactions the characters had and reading about those that Tella befriended or fought along the way. I especially liked watching Tella's relationship with Guy, the love interest in the story, change and grow.

Whilst reading this book I was completely immersed in the world, constantly turning the page to find out what happens as it keeps you in suspense from the beginning to the end. I'm super excited to read the next book in the series ‘Salt & Stone’ which comes out next year as a lot of questions still need to be answered.

Overall though Fire & Flood was a fast paced action packed read with just the right amount of humour and romance that I highly recommend!

August Book Haul

Hello! Another month, more books. August has flown by and as it is my birthday month I have quite a few books to share with you today.

Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Silver Shadows came out at the end of July but I ended up picking it up this month and I haven't had the chance to read it yet but I am so excited and I can't wait to find out what happens! I love the bloodlines series so much, in fact I actually like it more than Vampire Academy and I think that may be because there is a lot more Adrian Ivashkov who is by far my favourite character!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

This book has been on my "Books to buy" list for ages now and I finally have it. I am so excited to read this book even though I have heard mixed reviews about it but I am a big lover of fantasy so I can't wait to jump into this new world!

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I am currently halfway through reading the Lux series and so far I'm loving it! When I saw the synopsis for this book I was immediately intrigued and it only got better when I realised it was by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Even though it's not something I would usually go for I am super excited to read this book and will hopefully be reading it soon!

The Elite and The One by Kiera Cass

I read The Selection ages ago and I have also read The Elite but I read it as an ebook and as the covers for this series are the most beautiful things to have graced YA literature I had to get The Elite so I could have it on my shelf next to the other books in this series. I haven't read The One yet but I am so excited too as I really love the story and I can't wait to find out how it ends!

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

This is going to be one of those books I'm going to read when I need a break from dystopian and fantasy books, from what I've heard this sounds like the perfect cutesy read and I am looking forward to reading it.

Shatter Me, Unravel Me and Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

I cannot contain my excitement for these three books. I have wanted them for so long but unfortunately they don't sell them in any book stores near where I live so I've never had a proper chance to pick them up. But someone obviously heard my prayers as I received them as a gift for my birthday and I AM SO EXCITED to read them! I just know that I'm going to love them and they are definitely the next books I'll be reading.

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

When I first saw this book in my suggestions on Amazon I was a little bit shocked but after reading the synopsis I just knew I had to get this book. I love the idea of the twist, it just sounds so cool and I'm looking forward to reading this book and the reactions I'll get off people when the see what I'm reading.

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

This is another contemporary that I've picked up, books like this are just so fun and quick to read making them the perfect "mourning period" read.

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Again another contemporary that I'm looking forward to read when I need a break from fantasy worlds and want a book that's based in the real world and is a quick, easy read.

If you couldn't tell already I am very excited about all these books and I can't wait to read all of them. My TBR pile is so big right now it's not even funny but I just can't help buying books, its a serious problem! Thankyou for reading!

Cry Worthy Books

Usually a book has to be really sad for me to cry, and when I cry at a book my eyes get so blurry that I have to stop reading for a bit and calm down before I can continue. That being said I have read quite a few sad books, so I thought I would share with you five books that have made me cry. This list isn't in any particular order as I cried like a baby at some point in all of these books but I have chosen books by different authors so there is a somewhat of a range.

1. The first book is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I have to admit it was hard to decide which Harry Potter book to put on this list as I cried at the majority of them but Deathly Hallows definitely made me cry the most. This was mainly because so many characters died and it felt like I lost a friend every time, but it was also the fact that the series was coming to an end and there would be no more adventures with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

2. Another book that made me cry was Mockingjay. I cried numerous times throughout this book and it was never just a delicate tear falling down my cheek, it was whale sounding sobs every single time. Aside from the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games was one of the first series that I really got emotionally invested in the characters so it made Mockingjay that much harder to read.

3. The third book on my list is Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. I had to put this book down plenty of times because I could no longer read it due to blurry tear filled eyes. I was crying for hours after I had finished mainly due to what happened in the epilogue but also because the series had ended and it had quickly become one of my favourites as I fell in love with the characters and the story.

4. Allegiant...need I say any more. Unlike the other books on this list I only cried at this book towards the end but once I started crying I couldn't stop. I was a blubbering mess when I was reading it and at first I didn't like the ending at all but now looking back on it I see that it was probably the best way to end such an amazing series.

5. The last book on this list is (obviously) The Fault in Our Stars, which I can imagine would be on almost everyone's list as it is impossible not to cry at. I don't think this book really needs any explanation to why its on this list, if you don't know just go and read the book. John Green does this thing where he makes you cry at all of his books, but I definitely cried the most at The Fault in Our Stars. I don't think cry is the right word though, more like uncontrollable bawling.


So that's my list of books I have cried the most at. I wanted to say something about how its okay to cry at books but instead I found this quote by Cassandra Clare, she had summed it up perfectly (like usual) and its much better than anything I could've written...

"If people ever look down upon you for crying for fictional characters, you should give them a gentle, pitying look and feel bad for them. If they’ve never cried for a fictional character, then they’ve never loved one (and what a joy that is). If they’ve never cried at a book, a movie, a piece of music, then they’ve missed one of the great pleasures life has to offer. Just because fiction does not contain things that are real doesn't mean it doesn't contain truth, and we find it through the alchemy of our tears."

Half Bad by Sally Green

Half Bad by Sally Green
Synopsis:
You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.
You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.
You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one.
You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.
All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday.
Easy.

Half Bad follows the story of Nathan who lives in a world where white witches, who are good, and black witches, who are bad, exist. Nathan is a witch, however he is half good and half bad, his father is the most powerful black witch alive and his mother who was a white witch is dead. Nobody knows what to do with him or what to expect, he faces constant prejudice from everyone and at 14 he's put in a cage. He has to escape before his 17th birthday so he can receive his 3 gifts in order to become a full fledged witch.

I really enjoyed this book, it took me a while to get used to the writing style but once I had I loved it! The first half of the book focuses on Nathan's back story, which really helped set the world up so it wasn't confusing at all. Nathan narrates the story, he is a fascinating character and also the sort that you can't help but root for as he goes through a lot in the book. The plot isn't particularly fast paced but it doesn't need to be as it is a very intriguing story with several important events that happen along the way. The only problem I did have though was the romance in the book wasn't very believable but hopefully it will be developed in the next book.

Overall though I found this book very interesting and I'm looking forward to the rest of the trilogy. Even though some people may be put off by the unique writing style it is an incredibly well written and compelling book that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a different, slightly dark YA read.

July Book Haul

Hello! This is my first book haul blog post and I am very excited about it. I don't know about you but I love to have a little nosey and see the books other people have bought. Book hauls introduce me to new books that I've never heard of and convince me to go out and buy them all, which I suppose is sort of bad but I don't mind even if it means my TBR pile is about as tall as me. So here are the books that I purchased in the month of July...

The first book I bought this month is Cress by Marissa Meyer which is the third book in The Lunar Chronicles series. Cinder and Scarlet, the first two books, had been sitting on my shelf for a while and I finally got around to reading them this month so after finishing Scarlet I immediately bought Cress. I now love The Lunar Chronicles and I can't believe I didn't read them sooner, they are so good! I finished Cress a few days after I bought it and I've begun the long wait for the last book in the series which isn't coming out until next year.

The next book I bought and already read is The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas. This book is a bind up of the five novellas for The Throne of Glass series, which is now one of my new favourites. I just love everything about this series and I am so excited for Heir of Fire! As you can see on my copy the beautiful gold writing has rubbed of slightly but aside from this the cover for this book and the other books in the series are absolutely amazing. I really enjoyed this book and I loved learning about Celaena's past adventures and how she become who she is in Throne of Glass. 

Another book I bought this month is Shattered by Teri Terry which is the last book in the Slated trilogy. I loved Slated, the first book in the trilogy, and I am currently reading the second book Fractured. What I've read so far of this series is really good and I'm looking forward to continue reading it. I don't think it is that popular and I have no idea why as the story is so cool. Slated is a dystopian novel where the government give people who have committed crimes a second chance by erasing all of their memories, the story follows a girl who has been "slated" however she begins to remember things from her past and its all about her trying to find out the truth. If you haven't read it I recommend you do!

The next books are The Darkest Minds and Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken. I've heard so many good things about The Darkest Minds series and I've had it on my "books to buy" list for ages! I got them both in hard copy which is exciting for me because I never get hardback books as they are always a lot more expensive but I had a discount code so I finally caved and purchased them. All that I know about them is what I've read from the blurb so I'm really looking forward to reading them!

And the last books I bought this month are the two bind ups of the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I am very excited to read these books and they were also on my "books to buy" list for ages. All I know is what I've read from the blurb which sounds really cool and I will definitely be reading these soon.

So that wraps up my first book haul, I hope that this may have helped you in what books to buy next and I apologise to your wallets if it has. Thankyou for reading!

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Synopsis:
The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.
But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...
This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.

I went into A Monster Calls not really knowing what to expect, I knew it was going to be good because of all the positive feedback it has had, but every review I read all said the same thing "just read it". I now understand why so many people struggled to sum this book up, it’s so hard to put down into words as it is so many different things but I'm going to give it a go.

This book was beautiful yet utterly heart-breaking, and I'll admit I did cry. The story follows a young boy, Conor, whose learning to deal with his mums battle with cancer. Conor’s compelling story is interspersed with the old stories that the monster tells, each of these stories have a lesson which definitely made me think differently about things.

This book is full of imagination and wonder but at the same time still very realistic. Each of the characters are well crafted and they all have a part to play in the story, they react just as people would do to the situation they are in making them very real which allows you to become involved in the story.

This book is everything at once and I loved how truthful it was. A Monster Calls is a beautifully written and illustrated novel and even though it is classed as a YA book I highly recommend it to all ages. All that’s left to say now is, just read it.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Synopsis:

After serving out a year of hard labour in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. 

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. 

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Before reading Throne of Glass I had never read a book centred around an assassin, so going into this book I wasn't sure what to expect even though I had heard a lot of great things about it. Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint, page after page I was pulled deeper into this incredible story and found myself engrossed by the characters and the world.

Throne of Glass was a truly amazing book that had me hooked from the very beginning. It was beautifully written with the perfect mixture of magic, mystery, romance and suspense that had me turning the pages to see what would happen next. The captivating storyline had numerous different plots all intertwined together and there was a wonderful balance between the light, funny moments and the dark, twisted ones.

The main character, Celaena Sardothien, is smart, funny and a major badass, but even though she is a deadly assassin she has a love for literature and fancy clothes, this definitely surprised me at first however it ended up being one of the reasons I liked her character so much as it made her seem a lot more real. Throughout the story you can almost forget that she is an assassin as you learn that she has a softer, caring side to her which is revealed through her willingness to help others. I love how she wasn't the typical tomboy heroine found in so many YA fantasy books these days, so okay she loves the feel of a weapon in her hand but she also loves the feel of the silk dresses she gets to wear when she's not trying to kill someone.

The potential love interests in this story are the other two main characters, the Prince and the Captain of the Guard. I really loved both of these characters, Dorian the prince is funny and flirtatious whereas Choal the captain is reserved, awkward and honest. I really enjoyed reading both of their interactions with Celaena but by the end of the book my favourite was definitely Chaol as I adored how you see him slowly falling for her throughout the story.

There was quite a lot of world building in this book and there is still a great deal more to learn, but I'm so excited to read the sequel to find out more about this world and the characters in a lot more depth.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy as it is such a fascinating story with a captivating story line and compelling characters.