Top Ten 2015 Releases I Meant To Get To But Didn't

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the awesome people of The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is ten 2015 releases you meant to read but didn't. These are in no particular order.

1. Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson 

I LOVE this cover!

2. Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

Still waiting for the paperback

3. The Scam (Fox and O'Hare #4) by Janet Evanovich, Lee Goldberg 

Still way too expensive!

4. Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Still waiting for the paperback

5. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Should probably read Fangirl first, since I already own it...

6. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

7. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

8. Walk on Earth a Stranger (The Gold Seer Trilogy #1) by Rae Carson

Again waiting for the paperback but I might eventually give in and buy the hardback.

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

Waiting to buy this cover in paperback

10. Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

I want to read The Grisha Trilogy first, which is going to happen soon!

11. The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh

Of course I have many more, but these are the ones I mostly regret not reading in 2015.

Which books are on your list? Please let me know down below!

Stacking the Shelves: End of the Year Book Haul

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you bought. I bought a lot of books in November and December, although I'm not going to show all of these in this post, I selected the books I received as gifts from my family and my Secret Santa. In total I got nine books as Christmas present or end of the year present!

1. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

This one I received from my Secret Santa! I still haven't been able to contact her in order to thank her, but I really want to! So in the hopes she is reading this: thank you so much for your lovely gifts!

2. The Secret History by Donna Tartt

3. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

4. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

Next books I received from my father and grandparents!

5. Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell

Really liking this one! It's hilarious!

6. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

7. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

9. The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle #1) by Patrick Rothfuss

Which books are in your book haul this week? Let me know down below!

Fortune's Pawn (Paradox #1) by Rachel Bach

Devi Morris isn't your average mercenary. She has plans. Big ones. And a ton of ambition. It's a combination that's going to get her killed one day - but not just yet. 
That is, until she just gets a job on a tiny trade ship with a nasty reputation for surprises. The Glorious Fool isn't misnamed: it likes to get into trouble, so much so that one year of security work under its captain is equal to five years everywhere else. With odds like that, Devi knows she's found the perfect way to get the jump on the next part of her Plan. But the Fool doesn't give up its secrets without a fight, and one year on this ship might be more than even Devi can handle.

If Sigouney Weaver in Alien met Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica, you'd get Deviana Morris -- a hot new mercenary earning her stripes to join an elite fighting force. Until one alien bite throws her whole future into jeopardy.

-- Goodreads.com description --

I've heard so many good things about Fortune's Pawn which is why I was so disappointed with it in the end. I almost did not finish this one, but I was already 64% through and I wanted it to count on Goodreads even though I already completed my challenge.

Whilst reading Fortune's Pawn, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was missing and that the book didn't really feel well developed. I didn't really like any of the characters which is a huge problem for me. I ultimately took a break from it, and read the last 30% a few weeks later. The last part of the book actually got better. I actually liked Devi however I still don't really like her love interest but I don't hate him anymore either. This might be because the romance wasn't well developed as well, which was such a shame!

The ending felt better structured and somehow I liked all the characters better. The ending itself was intriguing and might cause me to pick up the second book sometime in 2016.

Since I almost marked this book as a dnf, but still liked the ending, I'm ultimately giving this book 3 out of 5 stars and that's being generous. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it unless you're already too interested in the book and this review didn't sway you. In my opinion, Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff is a much better space opera.

Sweep in Peace (Innkeeper Chronicles #2) by Ilona Andrews

Dina DeMille doesn’t run your typical Bed and Breakfast. Her inn defies laws of physics, her fluffy dog is secretly a monster, and the only paying guest is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. But the inn needs guests to thrive, and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina's door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance.

Unfortunately, for Dina, keeping the peace between Space Vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the devious Merchants of Baha-char is much easier said than done. On top of keeping her guests from murdering each other, she must find a chef, remodel the inn...and risk everything, even her life, to save the man she might fall in love with. But then it's all in the day's work for an Innkeeper…

-- Goodreads.com description --

This is the second book in the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews and I LOVED it! This book was so much better than the first one and I NEED the third one right now! But I suspect I'll have to wait quite a while before this will happen.

I didn't get the feeling that this books was just a few chapters that ultimately got published as a whole. No, this book from the start to finish felt as a complete novel, which in my opinion was not the case with the first book, Clean Sweep. There were also less writing mistakes however, there are still some left.

The characters do get more developed which made my day! I love all of them, they're so great! The magic system is interesting and original and Sweep in Peace contains a plot twist I didn't see coming! Once again, this book contains some awesome illustrations.

I need the third book, I NEED IT! This will not come as a surprise that I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars! I recommend this book to every Ilona Andrews fan! Or to anyone looking for a quick fun magical read!

Top Ten Resolutions For 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is top ten bookish resolutions of 2016.

1. I want to be a more active blogger
I'm not too pleased with the layout of my blog and I need to write more reviews and posts in general, I would like to have at least 200 blog posts in total by the end of 2016. I also should overcome my shyness enough to add a picture to my profile and link my Goodreads account to this blog.


2. I want to read more adult fantasy books
In particular, I want to read books by Brandon Sanderson, Michael J. Sullivan and Patrick Rothfuss. Additionally, I want to read more Robin Hobb and Scott Lynch books (I'm currently reading Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, so I'm already working on this resolution). I will already be pleased if I just read a bit more from this genre, these particular authors are just a bonus.

3. I want to finish at least 5 series I started to read before 2016
This can also mean reading all the published works in a series if the series is unfinished.

4. I want to read at least a third of the books I already own
I want a less extensive TBR pile, even though I quite like the fact that I have so many unread books at my disposal to choose from at any given time. This resolution has the most potential to fail, I believe, but let's hope for the best!

5. I want to read at least 5 books released in 2016
I hoping to read Truthwitch and The Dark Days Club at the latest in February and I can't wait!

6. I want to read at least 3 classics
I'm hoping to read more than three but I'm not going to pressure myself into that, if I'm not in the mood for than I'm not going to read it. I wrote this before Christmas, and I actually received four classics! Peter Pan, The Great Gatsby, Great Expectations and Moby-Dick. Hopefully I will at least read half of these!

7. My Goodreads challenge will start at 70 books
I've read 112 books this year, I've never read so much in one year before but I believe I will be busier next year and I can still adjust my challenge, like I did last year.

8. I want to write more book to movie adaptation reviews
I quite liked writing those and since I named my blog Lynn's Film and Book Review, I should definitely write a little bit more about films and TV shows as well. This seems like a good way to start doing that.
I originally didn't read as much as I do know, therefore I had the idea to write a blog about films and books. However, as I've been reading more, I've been watching less movies and TV shows.

9. I want to read the following urban fantasy books

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Written in Red by Anne Bishop
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

I already own them, so this counts as resolution 4 as well.

10. I want to read at least one book of these which I own and I've been putting off reading, even though I know I will love them

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

There are more books that I should add to this list but this top ten is already long enough, so I'll leave it at that.

Do you have any resolutions for 2016? Let me know down below!

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The First Half of 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful Broke and Bookish! The week's topic is Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The First Half of 2016. At first I didn't think I would be able to come up with any but the month or so and list of most anticipated books of 2016 got me excited about quite a lot of books after all.

1. Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer

I need that epilogue!!!
Expected publication: February 2nd 2016 (hardback only, I believe)
Paperback: 01 Mar 2016

2. Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) by Susan Dennard 

Expected publication: January 5th 
3. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Expected publication: January 5th

4. The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1) by Alison Goodman

Expected publication: January 26th 2016 

5. Riders by Veronica Rossi 

Expected publication: February 16th
6. The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

Expected publication: April 5th 2016
7. This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) by Victoria Schwab

Love this cover!
Expected publication: June 7th 2016 

8. Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge 

I don't actually know if this will come out in the first half of 2016 but let's go with it :) No cover reveal yet.

9. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

This cover is stunning!
Expected publication: March 8th 2016

10. A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas

Expected publication: May 3rd 2016

Bonus:

11. Eidolon (Wraith Kings #2) by Grace Draven 

I already wrote this blog post last week but yesterday I started reading Radiance and I'm really enjoying it! So I know I will need the second book soon!
Expected publication: January 31st 2016

Which are your most anticipated releases? Don't hesitate to let me know down below!

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything. 

-- Goodreads.com description --

Clean Sweep is the first book in The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. After starting the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews and loving it, I decided to check out some of the other books written by this husband and wife duo. I picked Clean Sweep, and I didn't regret it. Ilona Andrews publishes this series on their website chapter by chapter and ultimately they self publish it. I didn't think much about that before, but I did have some problems with Clean Sweep. I do believe they could have done a better job with an actual editor. The book was riddled with mistakes like for example "solider" instead of "soldier" and several mistakes in the structure of sentences, often missing a word or more. Since the book is relatively short and therefore quite expensive, I did not appreciate all those mistakes, in fact they really got on my nerves. I'm not exaggerating when I say that in almost every chapter a mistake is to be found. I could forgive the occasional oversight but this was more than that. 

Furthermore, I did feel like the structure of the entire book didn't really work. The characters could have been more developed and Clean Sweep did feel more like a collection of chapters rather than a book as a whole to me. 

However, I still liked the story and the characters, but I just expected more of Ilona Andrews. The world building is amazing, though, and the illustrations make for a wonderful reading experience. 

All things considered I still give Clean Sweep 4 out of 5 stars. I'm currently reading the second book in the series, Sweep in Peace and I'm liking it so much more! I've still come across a few mistakes but not as many as in the first book.