October Wrap Up

These are the books I read in October, I'm quite happy with what I read this month. It has been a good reading month after all!


1. Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicle, #3) by Jay Kristoff

I liked Darkdawn but I somehow also feel disappointed in the final instalment of this series. I expected more and I had some problems with the plot. 4 stars. Have you read it?

2. Bringing Down the Duke (A League of Extraordinary Women, #1) by Evie Dunmore

I enjoyed this but didn't like some of the choices made by the main characters. 4 stars.

3. The Merciful Crow (The Merciful Crow, #1) by Margaret Owen

I'm starting to read less ya, but you can't really tell based on this month's wrap up. That said, I quite enjoyed the new setting of this book, but I didn't like the romance all that much and most characters annoyed me. 3 stars.

4. Tunnel of Bones (Cassidy Blake, #2) by Victoria Schwab

Really enjoyed this one! Can't wait to read what will happen next! 4,5 stars!

5. Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1 (Fullmetal Alchemist, #1) by Hiromu Arakawa

I borrowed the boxset from the brother of one my best friends, I don't have a lot of time to read these but I'm glad I started. Not sure about this series yet though. 3 stars. Does it get better?

6. The Diviners (The Diviners, #1) by Libba Bray 

LOVED this! Definitely my favourite book this month! I ordered the sequels but they still have to be shipped, otherwise I probably would have devoured those as well! Highly recommend this series! I didn't expect a ya series to be this creepy. 5 stars!

7. Wicked Fox (Gumiho, #1) by Kat Cho

I heard some mixed reviews about this one, it won my Twitter poll, so I decided to pick it up. When I started it, I was still suffering from a bookhangover from reading The Diviners, so to me Wicked Fox had a very slow start. It was difficult to get into to it. However, once I got to the second part of the book, I couldn't put it down! 

As you may know, I love watching Kdrama and this book reminded me of one all the time. I loved the Korean and magical elements. 4 stars.

8. Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

I liked it, but there wasn't all that much to it. Kind of wish I didn't buy it. 3 stars.
It also made me want to visit a pumpkin patch, those sound look like a lot of fun. Sadly, I don't have any in my region.


What did you read in October?

Have you read any of these books or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts and recommendations down below!

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Can't-Wait Wednesday: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting On Wednesday hosted at Breaking the Spine.

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

-- Goodreads.com description --

I love retellings and especially Beauty and the Beast ones like this one. The cover is stunning and I can't wait to read this story!

This book will be published on 29 January 2019.

Have you read this book or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!

Which books are you excited to read?

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Can't-Wait-Wednesday: Bright We Burn (The Conqueror's Saga #3) by Kiersten White

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting On Wednesday hosted at Breaking the Spine.

Bright We Burn is third book in The Conqueror's Saga so there are spoilers in the synopsis.

Haunted by the sacrifices he made in Constantinople, Radu is called back to the new capital. Mehmed is building an empire, becoming the sultan his people need. But Mehmed has a secret: as emperor, he is more powerful than ever . . . and desperately lonely. Does this mean Radu can finally have more with Mehmed . . . and would he even want it? 

Lada's rule of absolute justice has created a Wallachia free of crime. But Lada won't rest until everyone knows that her country's borders are inviolable. Determined to send a message of defiance, she has the bodies of Mehmed's peace envoy delivered to him, leaving Radu and Mehmed with no choice. If Lada is allowed to continue, only death will prosper. They must go to war against the girl prince. 

But Mehmed knows that he loves her. He understands her. She must lose to him so he can keep her safe. Radu alone fears that they are underestimating his sister's indomitable will. Only by destroying everything that came before--including her relationships--can Lada truly build the country she wants. 

Claim the throne. Demand the crown. Rule the world. 

-- Goodreads.com description --

I read the first two books last summer and while I didn't love them, I still enjoyed them enough to read the final book. Here is my review for the first book, And I Darken and my review for the sequel, Now I Rise.


Have you read this book or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!

Which books are you excited to read?

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Can't-Wait-Wednesday: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting On Wednesday hosted at Breaking the Spine.

Everyone knows what happens in the end.
A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss.
But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends.
One feared, one royal, and one already dead.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch. 

A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.

But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain. 

The rise of Hans Christian Andersen’s iconic villainess is a heart-wrenching story of friendship, betrayal, and a girl pushed beyond her limits—to become a monster.

-- Goodreads.com description --

First of all, this cover is fantastic! Since reading To Kill a Kingdom I've been craving more books set at sea, hopefully this will live up to my expectations! I expect a lot from fairy tale retellings these days!


Have you read this book or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!

Which books are you excited to read?

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Can't-Wait-Wednesday: The Supervillain and Me (Morriston Superheroes #1) by Danielle Banas

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting On Wednesday hosted at Breaking the Spine.

As witty as it is heartpounding, this fresh take on the beloved superhero genre is all about finding your own way to shine even when it seems everyone else around you is, well... super.

Never trust a guy in spandex.

In Abby Hamilton’s world, superheroes do more than just stop crime and save cats stuck in trees—they also drink milk straight from the carton and hog the television remote. Abby’s older brother moonlights as the famous Red Comet, but without powers of her own, following in his footsteps has never crossed her mind.

That is, until the city’s newest vigilante comes bursting into her life.

After saving Abby from an attempted mugging, Morriston’s fledgling supervillain Iron Phantom convinces her that he’s not as evil as everyone says, and that their city is under a vicious new threat. As Abby follows him deeper into their city’s darkest secrets, she comes to learn that heroes can’t always be trusted, and sometimes it’s the good guys who wear black.

-- Goodreads.com description --

Expected publication date: July 10th 2018

This just sounds like such a fun read! Perfect for my summer reading tastes! Hope to get to it soon!



Have you read this book or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!

Which books are you excited to read?

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Can't-Wait Wednesday: Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting On Wednesday hosted at Breaking the Spine.

The highly anticipated, thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer, from National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy.

Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old.

She believed she knew every horror, and was beyond surprise.

She was wrong.

In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.

Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice--save the woman he loves, or everyone else?--while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of.

As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?

Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer.

-- Goodreads.com description --

This is the sequel to Strange the Dreamer and probably my most anticipated book this year. I love Laini Taylor's writing style, she creates amazing fantastical worlds and characters. Can't wait to read everything she reads next!

Have you read this series or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below! 

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Review: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

Edward (long live the king) is the King of England. He’s also dying, which is inconvenient, as he’s only sixteen and he’d much rather be planning for his first kiss than considering who will inherit his crown…

Jane (reads too many books) is Edward’s cousin, and far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately for Jane, Edward has arranged to marry her off to secure the line of succession. And there’s something a little odd about her intended…

Gifford (call him G) is a horse. That is, he’s an Eðian (eth-y-un, for the uninitiated). Every day at dawn he becomes a noble chestnut steed—but then he wakes at dusk with a mouthful of hay. It’s all very undignified.

The plot thickens as Edward, Jane, and G are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, our heroes will have to engage in some conspiring of their own. But can they pull off their plan before it’s off with their heads?

-- Goodreads.com description -- 

I picked this book up in part because I love the movie with Helena Bonham Carter, Lady Jane, and because I want to know more about this historical figure. This is where it went wrong for me. I love the slowly developed hate-to-love romance in the movie but the romance in this book felt so different to me. To me it kept revolving about the same angsty feelings because the two main characters hardly talked about themselves and their feelings to each other. I believe the book would have been a lot more interesting if the characters were more open to each other earlier on. (As you can tell, I'm not a huge fan of angsty romances).

This brings us to the movie itself, there were some obvious parallels between the movie and the book. At one point, the narrator says that Jane and G had discussed what they would do if they were king and queen at length. This true for the movie as that is an entire and pivotal scene which establishes a connection between Jane and Gifford. In the novel, despite saying otherwise, the similar scene is barely a page while they mention it has been discussed at length. This did not sit right with me.

There were some random quotes from famous movies and Shakespeare thrown in that really irked me. For example, "Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries!" which is obviously from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Another example is "Frying pans, who knew?" which is from the Disney movie Tangled (or Rapunzel depending on where you are in the world). I simply did not feel like these quotes added anything to the story and I just wish they were left out.

My Lady Jane is divided into two parts, one part that is more or less based on historical events and the second part that moves away from history in its entirety. I liked the second part much better than the first because it's not based on history (or the movie). The magical elements like Gifford turning into a horse during the day did not bother me as much because now it became just a story. I believe I would have liked the first part better if there had been no magic.

If you are expecting a fluffy historical romance with magical elements you will probably enjoy this. My main issues are actually to be explained by my expectations, so don't expect to learn anything of value about Lady Jane and just read it like a historical fantasy not based on anything in particular. I would definitely have enjoyed it more like this. All in all, I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars but that is me being generous. It took me such a long time to get through the first part of the book but I liked the second part so much better.


Have you read this book or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!

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Also, if you have any historical fiction books about Lady Jane that you can recommend me, let me know in the comments!

Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

-- Goodreads.com description --

This is probably one of the most anticipated and hyped books of 2018. I have never read a Holly Black book before but Fae stories intrigue me.

When I hear the word Fae, I immediately think about pointy ears, magic, tricks, cruelty and Shakespeare. In The Cruel Prince all of these (except Shakespeare) are present and this is something I really enjoyed about this book.

The characters both intrigued and annoyed me. My favourite character is Vivi but I liked Cardan well enough too. I was at times annoyed by Jude but I understood her most of the time. The charachter I really disliked was Jude's sister Taryn. Her inaction was worse than the actual bullying.

As the title suggests, there is a lot of cruelty in this book. Especially when the highborn Fae bully Jude. I didn't have a problem with the inclusion of the bullying scenes, however, I do have problems with how they were handled. I can understand that Jude wants to keep it secret but the bullying should have been addressed by her teacher and family members. We get it, the Fae are cruel, but seeing as a lot of young adults have to deal with bullying, I feel that this topic should have been handled differently.

Aside from that, I did like the second part of the book more, the bullying was not as present and the action picked up too.

The plot twist at the end made me decide to give this book four stars after all. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, which will likely be different than the first book concerning the issues I have addressed.

Have you read this book or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below.

Stacking the Shelves: New Year's Eve Book Haul

Stacking the Shelves is a meme co-hosted by Reading Reality and Tynga's Reviews. Each week bloggers share the books they got. These are the books I received on New Year's Eve from my family!

1. Middlemarch by George Eliot

I've heard great things about George Eliot and I can't wait to read one of her books! Middlemarch is quite intimidating, though! My parents got me this wonderful Penguin clothbound edition!

2. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

I've only read A Christmas Carol by Dickens but I hope to change that soon!

3. The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

I've heard good things about this book, so I'm eager to read it, because MAGICIANS!

4. A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab

Yes, I've already read this series and yes I already own two copies of this book, but I just couldn't resist adding this gorgeous collector's edition on my wishlist!

5. The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy #1) by Katherine Arden

I finally got my hands on this book! I've been wanting to read it since it came out! 

They also got me the Dunkirk DVD! Haven't seen it yet, but really excited to do so!


Which books did you recently get? Have you read any of the books mentioned above or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!

Stacking the Shelves: December Book Haul Part One

Stacking the Shelves is a meme co-hosted by Reading Reality and Tynga's Reviews. Each week bloggers share the books they got. These are the books I got in the first part of December.

1. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan  

2. Idaho by Emily Ruskovich

I was approved to read this on Netgalley but since I was new then, I didn't realise I only had a certain amount of time to read it. Soooo, that's why I had to buy it now.

3. The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood

This is the next Atwood book that's been recommended to me. I always love getting new recommendations! Previously, I read The Blind Assassin, The Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace. I gave them all 5 stars.

4. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

I had to teach The Wife of Bath's Tale and The Miller's Tale during my teaching practice and I decided I needed an actual copy of the book as well.

5. A Plague of Giants (Seven Kennings #1) by Kevin Hearne

This was in my October Page Habit box and I forgot to mention it in my last two hauls. Oops.

6. The Last Namsara (Iskari #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli

November Fairyloot box.

7. Furyborn (Empirium #1) by Claire Legrand 

November Fairyloot box. So excited to read it!

And now the books I got from my wonderful Broke and Bookish Secret Santa!

8. Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia 

Currently reading it and loving it!

9. Half Bad (The Half Bad Trilogy #1) by Sally Green

I've heard this is about witches and that's all I need to be excited about it!


Which books did you recently get? Have you read any of the ones mentioned above or are you planning to? Which book should I read first? Leave your thoughts down below!

Have a wonderful New Year!

Review: An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

A skilled painter must stand up to the ancient power of the faerie courts—even as she falls in love with a faerie prince—in this gorgeous debut novel.

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

-- Goodreads.com description -- 

I was so excited to read this book: gorgeous cover, (evil) fairies, interesting world, etc. However, this is one of the biggest disappointments of the year for me. 

What I liked about this book:

- I liked the atmosphere, Rogerson's descriptions of the world and the seasons is entertaining. I could immediately envision everything.

- I liked that the book was about fairies who you couldn't always trust. They were intriguing and creepy at the same time.

- I liked most of the secondary characters like Lark and Gadfly


What I disliked about An Enchantment of Ravens:

- Isobel is such an annoying protagonist, I almost clawed my eyes out because I got so frustrated with her! You could definitely say, Isobel and I didn't click. Especially her "inner voice", her thoughts and her narrating voice were excruciating for me to read. She was way too naive but sometimes was portrayed as an absolute genius. 

- That brings me to Rook, while I initially found him intriguing, I quickly started getting annoyed by him as well.

I feel that both Rook and Isobel could have been further developed. To me, they didn't feel like real characters.

- The romance. I love romantic stories and I picked up An Enchantment of Ravens to read a good romance story. The romance is definitely the main storyline of the book but I felt so underwhelmed by it. Even though, they don't declare their feelings for each for a time, it did feel like insta love to me. At no point did I think that the romance was developing well. Suddenly they declare their love out of nowhere (or at least, that's how I see it).

- I believe this book could have benefited so much from getting a few more drafts in order to develop the characters and the romance better.


All in all, I gave this book two out of five stars. I'm so disappointed, the cover is certainly not worth it to buy this book. I don't recommend this book at all, in fact I'm looking for a way to get rid of my copy (which is something I almost never do).


Have you read this book or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!

Stacking the Shelves: November Book Haul

Stacking the Shelves is a meme co-hosted by Reading Reality and Tynga's Reviews. Each week bloggers share the books they got. November was an incredibly busy month, I didn't read much and I didn't buy that many books. These are the five books I got in November: 


1. An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Currently still reading this one. It's such a struggle!

2. Night of Cake & Puppets (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2.5) by Laini Taylor 

Can't wait to read this! Love Laini Taylor!

3. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Heard good things about this one! Can't wait to read it!

4. Kulti by Mariana Zapata

Already this e-book and I enjoyed it! 3 stars.

5. Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin by Mariana Zapata 

Already read this one as well. 3 stars. I really enjoy Zapata's books, sadly, these are the only two I can get as a kobo e-book.


Which books did you recently get? Have you read any of the ones mentioned above or are you planning to? Leave your thoughts down below!

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