I feel so lucky to have received two FairyLoot boxes this month, it feels like this one has come early since the last one was delayed, but I have a feeling that this one is going to have to keep me going for a while as both FairyLoot and Illumicrate have reported delays with the May boxes due to the Suez Canal blockage.
I'm not going to waste anytime jumping into this one because I am too excited! So, let's just have a quick recap of the April theme: You might think you know who someone truly is, but what if they are keeping a secret? A secret that could change everything… for the better or for the worse? As Phaedrus wisely said, “things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many”. 💜 In this box you can expect items inspired by The Shadows Between Us, The Lord of the Rings, The City of Brass, Flame in the Mist and a foiled bookmark set inspired by the following fandoms: An Ember in the Ashes, The Poppy War and Blood Heir. For now, we won’t be revealing any item artists but we will say that we are featuring an item in this box that we have NEVER included before! 💜 Our featured book of the month is a dark fantasy filled with unforgettable characters, intrigue, magic and a dash of swoon-worthy romance. We were hooked from page one and all of the plot twists still have us reeling! This FairyLoot exclusive edition will have an EXCLUSIVE COVER, STENCIL & SPRAYED EDGES, ARTWORK ON THE REVERSE OF THE DUST JACKET by @alicemariapower, FOIL EMBOSSING ON THE CASE by @talia.nobel, BONUS CONTENT in the book and will be SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. Okay, let's do this! As always, there will be spoilers beyond this point so look away now if you don't want to see what's inside this box. Happy Sunday book lovers! Instead of the usual book tag post, I decided to try something a little different today.
I've never done a book haul blog post before BUT given the recent re-opening of local bookshops, I figured now would be the perfect time to celebrate my recent book hauls along. Before I get to the books themselves, I can't tell you how much I've missed book browsing and book shopping. We have one major bookshop in my town (Waterstones), a couple of smaller shops that stock a few books i.e. (The Works & WHSmith) and one charity bookshop. So, this week, Sophie and I decided to get out to as many as we could, and it was bliss (minus the masks blocking that beautiful bookish scent and our usual coffee and cake as it was far too cold to sit outside)! Right, I'll kick off with my books for now and Sophie will add hers lower down. As always, I'll include links to the books on Goodreads and The StoryGraph so you can easily add to your preferred TBR. Rating: 3.5 Stars Genre: Contemporary/LGBT/YA Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda goes to Italy in Arvin Ahmadi's newest incisive look at identity and what it means to find yourself by running away. Eighteen-year-old Amir Azadi always knew coming out to his Muslim family would be messy--he just didn't think it would end in an airport interrogation room. But when faced with a failed relationship, bullies, and blackmail, running away to Rome is his only option. Right? Soon, late nights with new friends and dates in the Sistine Chapel start to feel like second nature... until his old life comes knocking on his door. Now, Amir has to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth to a US Customs officer, or risk losing his hard-won freedom. TW: Racism (racial profiling), bullying, homophobic behaviour and language, blackmail
This book has been on my TBR for a while now, and I was really excited to read it. The writing and 'voice' of Amir instantly drew me into the book and his character. He's an instantly likeable narrator, and Ahmadi's writing style is easy to fall into. That being said, this book didn't really read like a Young Adult novel, or at least not a modern YA. It felt a little more classic and 'grown up' than the typical YA, more so than Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda. Neither was better or worse than the other. This just felt a little more adult and also hugely autobiographical, which after reading the author's acknowledgements makes sense. I really liked Amir, his voice and his story are immediately gripping, and it's so easy to understand why, when caught between blackmailing bullies at school and a family he's certain won't accept him, he feels the only solution is to run away. When Amir finds himself suddenly in Rome, the overwhelm and the feeling of being lost is extremely clear, but I absolutely loved the 'found family' element of the story as Amir makes new, albeit much older, friends and is welcomed into a new circle of people where he's able to be himself for the first time in his life. “The thing about bigots is they always go out of their way to acknowledge my fabulous existence, when I hardly notice theirs.” A fantastic thing about Amir is that he's not at all perfect. His decisions are in the heat of the moment, rash and at times disastrous. He's a messy character, but this only serves to make him more realistic as he struggles to find his place in the world. However, it comes with a slight downside in that the plot and character development didn't always feel as though they were moving as much as they could have. Amir's story takes us across Rome and feels at times like part YA coming-out story and part Italian travel guide as we're taken along to various landmarks and treated to a full tour of Rome, both the tourist attractions and the LGBT+ scene. Amir's new crowd is flamboyant, with complex characters who bring life and colour to Amir's story and add new depth through their own challenges and relationships. For me, what made the book really powerful were the interrogation room scenes, which run throughout the novel as Amir and his family recount the events that lead to them being there. Amir's father's scenes were particularly brutal and heartbreaking as he had to deal with being detained and separated from his family while trying to come to terms with the love for his son battling the ideals he'd been taught. The representation of Iranian culture and characters felt authentic. However, the portrayal of the Italian characters felt a little on-the-nose and cliche. Most of the characters Amir meets in Italy are American and the only Italian characters he meets are stereotypical, somewhat problematic (an unhappy, unfaithful, semi-open relationship) or almost an afterthought, added only to benefit a particular scene or moment. I had some questions at the end of the novel, particularly the references to the previous time that Amir ran away, which wasn't really elaborated on, and so I would have liked a bit more information there. I did like the ending, but it was much more of a mellow, uplifted feeling than the overjoyed, positivity I'd almost expected. Overall, I think young and older readers would enjoy this poignant coming-out story as Amir is a character who feels accessible to all ages and walks of life as he reminds us that the most important thing in life is to own your own truth. "The ship is turning around. It will be a stormy ride, but we are going to make it through this journey together. All of us." This month, I was incredibly lucky to win a free book box from Book Box Club, so it's time to share with you my unboxing.
This is going to be my last box for a little while, because money (Ugh!) and the next theme isn't really my thing. Before we get started, here's a quick reminder of the April 2021 theme reveal: Fellow survivors! ⚠️Grab your emergency gear & prepare for apocalyptic adventures aplenty! Our April theme will be THIS RAVAGED WORLD and will celebrate the heroes (and bandits!) battling to save the planet & dodge disaster.🌍🔥🌊 About the books (there are TWO!): BOOK ONE is set in a capital city on the brink of being swallowed by a terrible flood. When a powerful leader abandons her position, her young maid servant is thrust into a world of politics, lies and big decisions. But can this unlikely heroine, save the people, pets (!) and world, before water bursts through the city walls? 🌊 BOOK TWO is an action-packed tale about a future England where floods, gunfights and monsters have created a dangerous land.🔫 In this strange new world (think wild west meets dystopia!) the fates of two outlaws collide. Suddenly a runaway criminal finds herself saddled with a new partner in misconduct: a hapless boy companion, guarding dark secrets of his own... Both books are new release YA paperbacks, filled with gutsy characters, apocalyptic vibes and dark humour! If you love Dystopian fiction like Red Rising, Handmaid's Tale and The Hunger Games - you will adore this box. Both books will arrive beautifully gift-wrapped with a signed bookplate from the author.😄👍 Our April box will be crammed with exclusive goodies designed to pamper our members and to be kind to our own ravaged world🌍! They'll be gorgeous eco-friendly gifts galore created by artists and small businesses. I won't lie, I'd actually skipped on this box as I'm not too excited about the theme, but I was really surprised and grateful to be one of three photo-challenge winners last month, with this box as the prize. So, who's ready to jump in? Obviously, there will be spoilers for this box beyond this point, so stop reading now if you don't want to know what's in this one. ⠀ Happy Sunday bookworms!
Sunday is book tag day here on the My Endless Shelf blog and this week, in honour of the much-anticipated Shadow & Bone Netflix adaptation next week, I decided that the Grishaverse Book Tag would be the perfect choice this week! I spotted this tag on Berries and Books and it was originally created by Rebecca Books. No mourners, no funerals. Let's do this! Rating: 3 Stars Genre: YA/Fantasy Series/Standalone: Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1 How I got this book: Bought Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart. As always, I'm late to the party! I read Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom a couple of years back, only to realise that I should have read this series first. (Oops!)
Although, I don't feel like reading those two books has spoiled anything for me in Shadow & Bone. I really, really wanted to love this series, it's so popular and we have the Netflix adaptation coming out next week, so I'd convinced myself it was going to be a great read. So, what the hell happened? In the first 11 pages of the book, I counted 3 fat jokes (like, really?!). The whole tone of the book at the beginning felt really immature, not what I'd expect from a YA by a prominent female author. Alina, our chief character, is a bit dull. She's plain-looking, which I liked (although the casting director for the show clearly missed that because the actress they've cast is gorgeous), but other than her obsession and unrequited love for Mal, her childhood companion (I hesitate to say best-friend because their whole relationship dynamic screams that they literally only stuck together because they had no other choice), she doesn't have a great deal else going on. She's an orphan (because of course she is) training to be a cartographer in the first army, I can't really remember if there was a reason they're both in the army, I think they just are, but she doesn't seem to have any real desire to do anything other than cling to Mal's side. As the book progresses, it's also clear that her heart is a fickle thing indeed. Mal is incredibly annoying. He's a womanising playboy with an immature streak and constantly blames/belittles Alina. He honestly drove me mad and I can't understand how he's a legitimate love interest; why would Alina want to be with this guy after constantly hearing him brag about the women he's "bedded"? I guess I just don't understand the appeal. So far, this doesn't seem like a 3 star read, so let me round up the things I DID like about this book: - The world-building - while confusing, it was interesting. I liked the idea of the shadow fold, this area of complete darkness that's separating the lands, making crossing nearly impossible, and the volcra, creepy creatures that live within the fold and basically eat anyone who dares enter. - The magic - the magic system is again very confusing, but pretty unique, I think. I liked the concept of the different Grisha and that their powers are reflected by what they wear. My biggest issue with the Grisha is that they're all children (or at least they all act like children) yet they have these incredible powers but don't really use them. - The Darkling - This character feels like he has potential. He's a villain, and he does many villainous things, but he is compelling and I think he has an interesting story to tell. There were moments when I felt conflicted, because I did honestly empathise with him, but then he'd turn around and do something dastardly. I just hope he doesn't become a two-dimensional 'bad-guy' and that Bardugo actually gives him some depth and character development. “The problem with wanting," he whispered, his mouth trailing along my jaw until it hovered over my lips, "is that it makes us weak.” - Genya - I LOVE Genya. She's a great, complex character, and a hell of a lot more interesting than Alina. Once I got over the first few chapters, the pacing did kick up a notch and I enjoyed the story a lot more. I think Alina's journey was much more interesting than Alina herself. Her struggle to tap into and control her own power, while predictable, made for more compelling reading than her lack of character. I'm really hoping that, as the series progresses, Alina grows more of a spine and actually does more for herself and becomes a stronger character. Fingers crossed she also ditches Mal and we get some new, interesting (hopefully diverse) characters. Overall, I enjoyed the world-building, the magic system and the side-characters, but I felt the main character needed a lot more development and that some aspects were more confusing than they needed to be. I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series, because the potential is there, I just hope that it picks up and lives up to the hype. “The Darkling slumped back in his chair. “Fine,” he said with a weary shrug. “Make me your villain.”
This month, our book club chat was all about Lore by Alexandra Bracken.
The Turn The Page Book Chat takes place the day after the podcast goes live at 7pm (UK). To join, just follow #TTPBookChat on Twitter. You can catch our review of the book here and listen to our podcast chat here. Next month, we'll be chatting about Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron. If you'd like to join us, read the book and tune in on May 11th for our podcast and on May 12th at 7pm (UK) for the next Twitter chat! Please note: This chat may contain spoilers! My March Fairyloot boxing is FINALLY HERE!
This box honestly took forever to arrive. I signed up to FairyLoot for the first time in 2-years in January, I think, and it arrived today 😅 Completely understand though that this was out of FairyLoot's control due to supplier/shipping issues (damn Brexit!) but it's here now and I'm really excited to tear it open, especially knowing that there's a Bear and the Nightingale inspired item inside! Before we get started, here's a quick reminder of the March 2021 theme reveal: We are so excited to reveal the March theme for our monthly box and it is… FROZEN FABLES! 💙 Have you ever noticed how peaceful the world seems after snowfall? How a hush falls over the landscape whenever it snows? And as beautiful as it may be, do you ever wonder which monsters may be hiding or perhaps resting in the silence…? 💙 In this box you can expect items inspired by The Bear and the Nightingale, Wintersong, Spinning Silver, Wicked Saints, Winterwood and Even The Darkest Stars. We are thrilled to reveal that one of the items in this box is a ceramic mug featuring artwork by the brilliant @monolimeart! 💙 Our featured book of the month is a thrilling story inspired by Russian folklore — this epic tale is set in a wintery backdrop and is filled with fables, romance, tragedy, magic and monsters! We’re going all out on customisations again this month and you can expect LOTS of customisations for all of our upcoming boxes too! This edition will have an EXCLUSIVE COVER, SHIMMERY SPRAYED EDGES, ARTWORK ON THE REVERSE OF THE DUST JACKET, FOIL EMBOSSING ON THE CASE and will have CUSTOM ENDPAPERS SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. I am HERE for those shimmer sprayed edges! Right, that's enough waiting, let's crack this puppy open! Obviously, there will be spoilers beyond this point so look away now if you don't want to see what's inside this box.
It's time for a brand new Turn The Page episode.
This month, our episode is all about books that make us laugh. We'll be chatting about our go-to authors and books when we just need to laugh, and why laughing while reading is good for you! As always, we'll also be reviewing our recent reads, chatting about what's up next on our TBR, and discussing our book club selection for March, Lore by Alexandra Bracken. Happy Sunday bookworms!
It's time for another Sunday book tag. This time, I've decided to go with The Netflix book tag because of the upcoming Shadow and Bone adaptation that I'm really looking forward to watching. I saw this book tag on A Book Lovers Playlist, and it was originally created by A Darker Shade of Whitney. Right, let's get to it! |
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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