Tell Me Something Tuesday: Popular Book Series! First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros!31/7/2018
Hello lovelies!! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you don't mind that I've decided to change things up a little this week. I was getting a bit tired of doing the TopTenTuesday meme as it takes ages to find ten book covers that fit the theme but the posts themselves were a little bland. So, I found two new memes that I'd like to try and cover in one post that will hopefully make things a little more interesting! First off: Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where a wide range of topics are discussed from books to blogging. This week's topic is 'What are some popular series you haven't tried or have and stopped because they just don't appeal to you?' This is quite a fun opening question as there are some popular series that I just haven't gotten around to yet and there are some that I didn't enjoy or don't want to read at all because they just don't appeal to me. I know there are some readers who will read a book simply because it's popular, because everyone else is raving about it, and whilst I obviously take reviews into account to some extent when looking at what books to read, I occasionally find myself going against the grain and being drawn to a book by it's synopsis or sampler even though it has awful reviews. Sometimes I end up agreeing with the reviews and don't enjoy the book, other times I discover a book that I truly love. It also works the other way around. Sometimes I'll read a book that has amazing reviews and I'll hate it or at least not enjoy it enough to keep reading. So, on that note here are some popular series I tried to read but couldn't finish/didn't enjoy:
Onto a more positive note, there a quite a few popular book series that I'm really looking forward to starting including; A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, Scythe by Neil Shusterman, The Summoner Series by Taran Matharu and To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. 😍😍😍 I'm so excited to start these!! There are also a few popular series that I'm really excited to continue with after reading the first book in the series:
What about you? What popular book series have you stayed away from or not enjoyed? Up next is the First Chapter, First Paragraph - Tuesday Intros meme. This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Vicki, from I’d Rather Be At The Beach and the idea is to post the first paragraph (or two) of the first chapter of a book you are currently reading or that you want to read. To fit with the topic of Tell Me Something Tuesday, I've chosen to share the first chapter of A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. Kell wore a very peculiar coat. It had neither one side, which would be conventional, nor two, which would be unexpected, but several, which was, of course, impossible. The first thing he did whenever he stepped out of one London and into another was take off the coat and turn it inside out once or twice (or even three times) until he found the site he needed. Not all of them were fashionable, but they each served a purpose. There were ones that blended in and ones that stood out, and one that served no purpose but of which he was just particularly fond. I actually really like this opening. It grabs me by throwing up loads of questions that I feel I need to find the answers to.
What about you? Would you/have you read this? Feel free to leave your comments and your links in the comments below, and let me know what you think of this new weekly post! 😃 Rating: 4.5 STARS! Genre: Contemporary YA/LGBT Standalone/Series: Openly Straight #1 How I got this book: Bought via Audible Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He's won skiing prizes. He likes to write. And, oh yeah, he's gay. He's been out since 8th grade, and he isn't teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that's important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time. So when he transfers to an all-boys' boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret -- not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate break down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben . . . who doesn't even know that love is possible. This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate feeling different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself. While fantasy has always been my top choice of novel, particularly when it comes to YA fiction, I seem to be falling in love with contemporary novels more and more lately. It's strange that this is coinciding a little with my recent love-affair with audio books. I signed up for a 3-month free trial with Audible two-months ago, and so far I haven't looked back.
This book caught my eye as a recommendation from Audible after I'd finished listening to Leah on the Offbeat and The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue. I hadn't actually heard of this one before but the sample and the synopsis piqued my interest. I instantly found the narrator, Pete Cross, really likeable, I love his voice work for all of the different characters, giving each one their own different, distinguishable voice, which really helps the story to flow smoothly. I love the life he brings to Rafe who is funny and witty, to the point where I found myself giggling away while I listened. The very different mixture of characters is something I really enjoyed, from the enigmatic, quirky Albie, sweet and crazy Toby, troubled Bryce, and Rafe's crazy parents, to the extremely complicated Ben, who is so very wise and thoughtful. Openly Straight surprised me. There are so many laugh out loud moments but they're woven into a complex story about personal identity and the importance of being true to yourself whilst also containing a bittersweet love story that hurt a little to witness. My heart goes out to both Rafe and Ben for their stubbornness and naivety, but the true beauty of this story wasn't their friendship but Rafe's journey of self-discovery, something that I think can be appreciated no matter your gender or sexual orientation. This book made me think. It's something I'm really enjoying about a lot of the contemporaries that I'm reading lately, that they force you to look deeper, to assess your own life and reflect on it, and for the most part, I agree with Rafe, labels shouldn't matter. Whether it's your skin colour, your sexual preferences, your proficiency at a certain skill; that one thing does not define your entire being. But, I also understand the conflict, that you can't push aside an unchangeable, inextricable part of who you are. What really cemented my love for this beautiful book was the finishing sentence: "There was nothing anyone needed to accept or tolerate. We celebrated." Which is exactly what this book felt like. A celebration of everything that makes us different, but how in that, we're all tied together, all connected. So, if you're looking for a book that will make you smile, laugh and maybe even cry a little, and if you love books like Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda and Running With Lions, I'd highly recommend Openly Straight. Book two, Honestly Ben is now available, and will more than likely be my next Audible purchase because I NEED to find out what happens next! A slightly odd, side note, is that this book really made me want to write. I haven't written anything other than my blog (and stuff for work) for a couple of months. I've been stressed, bogged down with life and just not feeling it, but the more I read this book, the more I just wanted to pick up my pen and write fiction. Finally, I did and it feels great again, so fingers crossed the feeling continues. It's finally Friday! I am so ready for the weekend after what has been a ridiculously busy week - I'm exhausted! Fingers crossed I'll actually have some time to read and blog this weekend too! The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
Today, I'm choosing a book that I'm about to start. It's Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton. I received this YA Fantasy in a recent book box and can't wait to dig in! Here's the Goodreads synopsis: In the ancient river kingdom, touch is a battlefield, bodies the instruments of war. Seventeen-year-old Mia Rose has pledged her life to hunting Gwyrach: women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood. Not women. Demons. The same demons who killed her mother without a single scratch. But when Mia's father suddenly announces her marriage to the prince, she is forced to trade in her knives and trousers for a sumptuous silk gown. Only after the wedding goes disastrously wrong does she discover she has dark, forbidden magic—the very magic she has sworn to destroy. Here's my chosen quote from page 56 (this page literally has 4 sentences, so there wasn't much to choose from): "And something was wrong. Very wrong." What do you think? Are you intrigued?
Let me know your thoughts (and drop your links) in the comments below, and have a great weekend! I was so excited when I got a text on Saturday while I was at the NYALitFest letting me know that my FairyLoot box for this month had arrived.
I've been seriously looking forward to this box after the phenomenal box we received last month, it was my favourite box so far and I couldn't wait to find out what the July box held, especially after reading the teaser info: We are so excited to reveal that the July theme is ‘The Power Within’! 🖤 This box is inspired by stories where characters are powerful within, whether it’s from magic or just strength and determination. 🖤 The book we are featuring is a brilliant fantasy book where there are women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood. We adored this story so much! It’s action packed from the start to finish, with a dash of humour. We’re so excited to reveal that the edition we will be including will be a FairyLoot exclusive as it will have SPRAYED PAGES and will actually be SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR! We cannot wait for you guys to see these stunning unique copies in person! 🖤 This box will have items inspired by Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes, Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, And I Darken by Kiersten White, Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young and Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. Even if you haven’t read any of these books you can still enjoy all of these stunning items - promise! 🖤 For the moment all we can reveal is that this box will contain a ✨ MAGIC CERAMIC MUG ✨ … we’ve been so excited to include this item! Let's open it up! As some of you know, today I attended my first ever book festival! The Northern YA Literary Festival, Supernatural and Fantastical YA event, which is a spin-off from their usual yearly YA book festival. My sister and I were so insanely excited for this event (which started at 12pm) that we set off at 8am (with an hour drive ahead of us!)....yeah...so suffice it to say we were pretty early!!! 🤦😂 Luckily, we weren't the only early birds and it was so lovely to meet the amazing, sweet and friendly book bloggers that I've been getting to know online over the past few months, in person. Lots of chats, laughs, and cups of coffee (well, hot chocolate on my part) later, the doors finally opened and in we went. First up (and the reason for our supreme earliness) was a fantastic bag of NYALitFest swag which included; an NYALitFest tote bag (because you can never have enough book storage and clearly the 3 bags I took weren't enough) and pin, an ARC of Jinxed by Amy McCulloch from @hashtagreads (which I'm super excited to read) along with a bunch of other bookish swag - all pictured below! There was also a bookish face painter at the event but I dropped the ball and forgot to get this done! The other stalls at this event included Waterstones (who were selling the author's books who were speaking at the event), an NYA Merch Stall, where I picked up a pen, badge and COLOUR CHANGING MUG!! (It's the one on the left below...) Also, muchos praise to the organisers for providing us with a snack stall - it was much needed and kudos to the staff who were super helpful i.e. the lovely people who swapped my slightly damaged mug and the lovely guy running the snack stall who understood my need for sustenance! The event started with the 'Fantasy' panel which consisted of author's Melinda Salisbury (running the panel), Alexandra Christo, Sally Green and Taran Matharu. The talk was fantastic, the authors were lovely, they gave great advice and insight. They were funny and took the time to answer questions from the audience. After the panel (which lasted a little over an hour), the author's were available to sign copies of their books. The authors were so lovely and, more than having my books signed, I really loved being able to just spend a few moments chatting to these wonderful authors. Melinda, who's book, The Sin Eater's Daughter, I'm a quarter of the way into, reminisced over the time she visited and had a boyfriend in my city and ate our local 'delicacy' (for want of a much better word) oatcakes. Sally, who's book, The Smoke Thieves, I absolutely loved and cannot wait for the second, took the time to chat about demons (which feature heavily in her book) and Tash (one of the characters from this book that I love. Taran, who I chatted with about just starting the first book in his Summoner series. After hearing him talk about how the book was inspired by Pokemon, I'm even more excited to keep reading! Also, Alexandra Christo who I was so, so excited to meet since I loved To Kill a Kingdom so much! We chatted about how we'd already chatted on Twitter, and we both fangirled a little over the gorgeous artwork on her book. She's so incredibly sweet and bubbly and meeting her was such a pleasure. Then onto the second panel which was all about the Supernatural. This was another really interesting, insightful, funny talk and since sadly Marcus Sedgwick (who's book, The Monsters We Deserve, I picked up from the event) couldn't attend, Sally Green stepped in to fill his spot alongside David Owen, Melvin Burgess, and A.J. Hart. Again, the authors were available for signings afterwards and I was able to get my advance copy (only available at the event) of Melvin's new book The Lost Witch signed. Here are the books I took with me or bought at the event and was able to get signed (click on any to head to Goodreads or my review): Last, but certainly not least, there was a book exchange stall at the event. I took around 8 books with me to trade and here's what I came away with: Those Disney re-tellings!! 😍😍😍 Overall, I had and absolutely wonderful day. I met some incredible people, bloggers, booktubers etc and the authors of course and I am definitely intending to attend the March NYALitFest next year!
Now, I'm off to bed since I've been up since 6:15am....which might be the reason why I've re-read this entire post with Sarah Millican's voice in my head...🤦 Rating: 3.5 STARS! Genre: Contemporary YA Standalone/Series: Creekwood #2 How I got this book: Bought Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst. When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon. So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended. I was so ready for this book! Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda was amazing. I loved The Upside of Unrequited and I was ready to love Leah on the Offbeat, even if I had some trouble with her character whilst reading Simon...I mean, she's fat, and bi, and I was all ready for that!
I should mention that this is the first audiobook I've ever reviewed on my blog. I've never really 'gotten into' audio books before but after listening to The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue almost on repeat this year, I decided to try another. The book was narrated by Shannon Purser and I think she did a fantastic job of capturing Leah's essence and portraying her character. I was immediately captured by her voice and by Leah's sarcastic wit. I also really, really liked that there was an f/f romantic interest, even if the character did throw me somewhat. Sadly, my biggest problem, was Leah herself. Like I said at the beginning, I should have really, really loved this book, but I just could not get over how horrible Leah's character was. She's a complete bit** to her mum, her mum's boyfriend, and to all of her friends. She was judgemental and patronising and manipulating and it really threw me off. Don't get me wrong, there were sweet moments, tender moments and moments where I felt sorry for Leah but a lot of the time I just couldn't get over how much I didn't like her personality, and that sucks because I wanted to love her. However, it wasn't all bad. I loved that I got to see more of Simon and Bram. I love this pair and they are seriously cute in this book! Prepare yourselves to gush! I liked Garrett. I can't actually remember if he was in Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda but I did find him funny and sweet, yet I didn't like that he was basically strung along the whole time. I also liked that Leah was quite body positive. For the most part she doesn't go on and on about her body size and how bad her life is because of it. I love that she dresses how she wants to, how she falls in love with a prom dress and doesn't obsess over looking 'bigger' than everyone else. It's nice to have a little more positive body size representation in books, especially in YA where it can make all the difference. Overall, I did enjoy the story. I enjoyed getting back with the gang. I enjoyed the romance and I liked Leah's sarcasm, I just didn't love her the way I wish I had. What do you think? Have you read this book? I'd love to know your thoughts!
Happy Friday!!
I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS WEEKEND!!
Me and my sister are off to our first ever book festival! We're hitting the NYALit Festival in Preston and I'm so excited I'll probably be screaming the entire way there! ???
I'll be doing a full rundown of my time at the festival afterwards and will share as many pics as I can get, so look out for that post next week! Now, on to this week's #Friday56 post! The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
Today's book is my current read, or listen if you want to get technical, Leah on the Offbeat which I'm listening to on my free Audible trial.
Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:
Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst. When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon. So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended. Here's my chosen quote from page 56 of the paperback: '"Read the rest of the summary."
I think one of the things I was most looking forward to about this book was seeing how Simon and Bram were doing, and so this quote works perfectly.
I'm almost finished listening to this so my full review will be up very soon! Have you read this? Share your thoughts and links in the comments below, and have a wonderful weekend! Oh, and do let me know if you'll be at the festival! I'd love to say hi!
Thanks for joining me on my stop of the When Life Gives You Demons by Jennifer Honeybourn blog tour. Big thanks to Giselle at Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to participate!
When Life Gives You Demons
Jennifer Honeybourn Published by: Swoon Reads Publication date: July 17th 2018 Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult Synopsis: Some people have school spirit. Shelby Black has real ones. Shelby Black has spent the past six months training to be an exorcist. Her great-uncle Roy―a Catholic priest―has put her through exorcist boot camp hell, hoping to develop her talent, but ohmygod, he still doesn’t trust her to do an exorcism on her own. High school is hard enough without having to explain that you fight demons for a living, so Shelby keeps her extracurricular activity to herself. The last thing she wants is for her crush, Spencer, to find out what she does in her off time. But Shelby knows how to keep a secret―even a big one. Like the fact that her mom left under mysterious circumstances and it’s all her fault. Shelby is hellbent on finding her mom, no matter what it costs her―even if what it ends up costing her is her soul AND a relationship with Spencer.
Today, I have a fun excerpt from the book to share with you!
What do you think? Intrigued? Keep reading for your chance to win a copy of the book!
Don't forget to add When Life Gives You Demons to your Goodreads TBR! And, follow along with the rest of the blog tour!
Enter here for your chance to win a print copy of When Life Gives You Demons (giveaway hosted by Xpresso Book Tours and open to US/CAN only) - ends 26th July!
a Rafflecopter giveaway Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251232542/
Happy Tuesday!! What are you reading this week? I'm having such a fun reading week! I can't wait to share my reviews of the books I'm reading right now! The #TopTenTuesday meme is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl and this week's theme is Top Ten Favourite Novellas/Short Stories!! I love novella's and short stories, especially when I'm not in the mood for a longer book or I want a change of pace between books. Since I haven't read all that many novella's or short stories these are the ones that I've rated 4 stars and above. Let's do this!! The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo - I can't get enough of these stories. They are so magical and immersive yet full of important morals and life lessons. I could read them again and again and again... The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brother's Grimm - I'm having so much fun exploring the original versions of these fairy tales, especially since I'm discovering some that I've never even heard of. Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls - I love reading these short, inspiring stories about incredible women to my daughter. Hopefully we can both learn from them. The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - these short stories are the perfect size for light-reading. I love Sherlock Holmes. I love the mystery, the cleverness and the characters. Unwrapping Hank by Eli Easton - this novella was so much fun to read. It's funny, sweet and took no time at all to read. A Court of Frost and Starlight by S.J. Maas - I had mixed feelings about this novella. Whilst nothing happened I could appreciate that it was a nice bridge between the previous books and those yet to come. Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander - Ron and Harry's doodles and notes make this book! I love it. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling - these short stories are fantastic. I love reading these to my daughter at bedtime. Azagoth by Larissa Ione - I always love meeting new characters in the world of Demonica. This book is somuch fun and I read it in just one sitting. Hades by Larissa Ione - Another novella from the Demonica series. I love the characters, the creatures and the chemistry! Have you read any of these?
I'd love to know what you think so feel free to leave your thoughts, and links in the comments below!
Welcome to my stop on the Between Frost and Fury Blog Tour!!
I have been ridiculously excited for this book ever since I read book one, Amid Stars and Darkness last year and so I just want to say a huge thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for letting me join in the fun and to Swoon Reads for the gorgeous ARC. Feel free to check out my review of Amid Stars and Darkness and keep reading for my review of Between Frost and Fury!
Rating: 5 STARS!!
Genre: Sci-Fi/YA/Romance
Standalone/Series: The Xenith Trilogy #2 How I got this book: ARC from Swoon Reads
Delaney might have done her job a little TOO well…and now her life has once again been turned upside down by aliens, this time by a deadly (and devastatingly handsome) alien prince in this explosive second installment of Chani Lynn Feener’s The Xenith Trilogy.
Delaney has been kidnapped by aliens. Again. After only a month back on Earth with her hot new alien boyfriend Ruckus, the deadly and devastatingly handsome prince Trystan has dragged her right back to his planet. While some girls may dream of winning a prince’s heart, Delaney just wishes this one would leave her alone. Instead, she finds herself at the center of both a tense political battle between two alien kingdoms and Trystan’s romantic attentions, both of which are absolutely ruining the life she’s built on Earth. Not to mention the fact that she’s about to be crowned queen of a planet she’s barely even visited. Just another day in the life of an ordinary human girl. Readers won’t want to miss Between Frost and Fury, the compelling, fast-paced sequel to Chani Lynn Feener’s Amid Stars and Darkness.
Okay, so what I LOVE about this book is that it literally jumps right back in where the previous book finished, there's no missing time in between, no catching up to do, you're just immediately immersed back into the action and carried through the story by the amazing pace.
The book actually starts with a brand new P.O.V from Ruckus, and I love that we get to hear from both him and (mostly) Trystan throughout this book. If it wasn't already clear, am I totally in this for Trystan! ?? I guess I have a thing for bad boys with hidden depths... Delaney is fantastic. No matter what happens to her, she still manages to keep her composure and her sharp tongue. "I'm not afraid of you," she told him, holding up a finger when he opened his mouth to argue. "I'm not. I'm afraid of the things you might do, yes. But of you personally? What's to be afraid of? Is it the scared little boy who'd rather steal someone else's toy than fix his own broken one?" I also can't help but smile in every scene where she purposefully goes out of her way to annoy Trystan! It's too cute, and it's great to see the new depths to these characters. I could not put this book down, and when I was forced to, I couldn't stop thinking about the characters. They made me smile, swoon and worry. My heart raced, and almost stopped altogether right at the end. Brace yourselves for another amazing, cliffhanger-style ending! ??? It's strange, because two things I'm generally not a huge fan of in books are cliffhangers and love triangles. This series has both and I LOVE them! I can't get enough of the tension, the drama, the conflict and ALL THE FEELS!! This is one of my absolute favourite series' so far. In this book, we get to explore more of the author's world, I absolutely loved the new wintry location and the introduction of some fantastic new characters, and foods! After the jaw-dropping ending, I can't wait for book 3 - I desperately need to find out how this ends, even if I don't want it to end at all!!
What do you think? Remember that you can click on the cover photo above to add Between Frost and Fury to your Goodreads TBR!
Thanks again for stopping by and joining me on my leg of the tour! Click here to follow the rest of the tour! You can also enter below for your chance to win a print copy of Between Frost and Fury (US/CAN only - giveaway hosted by Xpresso Book Tours)! |
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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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