Happy Friday! I can't tell you how glad I am that it's finally Friday. This week has been ridiculous and yesterday saw me pulling my hair out as my laptop died a very painful death 😭😭😭 I'm trying to distract myself with blog posts and reading, so I'm jumping back into the Friday 56 meme. The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
The book I've chosen to feature today is the next book on my TBR. Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce is a YA Fantasy novel that promises lots of magic and I can't wait to dig in! Check out the Goodreads synopsis below (and click the cover image to add to your TBR): Arram Draper is a boy on the path to becoming one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness–and for attracting danger. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram begins to realize that one day soon he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie. In the Numair Chronicles, readers will be rewarded with the never-before-told story of how Numair Salmalín came to Tortall. Newcomers will discover an unforgettable fantasy adventure where a kingdom’s future rests on the shoulders of a talented young man with a knack for making vicious enemies. Here's my chosen quote from 56% (I had to choose this carefully to avoid spoiling anything for myself): Slowly Arram smiled. Ozorne's sense of humour could take a cruel turn, it was true, but he meant no harm. And it was good to be back, among pretty girls, eating warm meals, and bathing in hot water. Best of all, he had four days before he had to haul himself out of bed at dawn, ready for school. Who knew? He might even be able to produce some magic by then. I'm really excited to read this book and I have my fingers crossed for a good read!
What do you think? Would you read this? Let me know what you're reading in the comments below, and have a great weekend!
Welcome to my stop on The Soul Keepers blog tour!!
Big thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to participate, I really enjoyed reading this book and I'm excited to share my review with you all.
Rating: 3.5 STARS
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Standalone/Series: Standalone How I got this book: ARC from Xpresso Book Tours
Death is just the beginning.
After dying in a terrible car accident, Rhett awakens in the afterlife and is recruited to join the crew of the Harbinger, a colossal seafaring vessel tasked with ferrying the souls of the dead. To where exactly, no one knows. But the crew must get the souls there, and along the way protect them from vicious soul-eating monsters that will stop at nothing to take the ship and all of its occupants. Rhett and his new friends have a hard enough time fighting back the monsters that grow bolder and more ferocious every day. But then a new threat emerges, a demon who wants something that Rhett has. And if she gets it, it could mean the end of everything... for both the living and the dead.
This book took me COMPLETELY by surprise!
I admit that I struggled a little to get into it at the beginning but I quickly got caught up in the fantastic mythology. To sum it up, this book felt like a mixture of Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean and a modern spin on Greek mythology. I loved the writing style, particularly when it came to the action scenes which were fantastic, and also the plot twists which were extremely unexpected. The characters were varied and interesting, keeping me engaged throughout and the mythology is fascinating, especially the ship itself, and its changing nature. My only complaint with this book was the ending, I just felt that it left so many unanswered questions. However, I still thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend The Soul Keepers to mythology and YA fantasy lovers in general.
You can click the cover photo above to add the book to your Goodreads TBR and enter below for your chance to win a print copy of The Soul Keepers (US/CAN only - giveaway hosted by Xpresso Book Tours).
Finally, you can click the banner at the top to follow the rest of the tour and feel free to leave your comments below :) Tell Me Something Tuesday: Book Cover Characters! First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros!28/8/2018
So, this past week has been a bit of a bust. I've barely read anything because of a stupid cold and fever, which is thankfully on its way out, and so fingers crossed I'll have more posts over the next week, starting with today's Tuesday blog memes! As always, we'll start with Tell Me Something Tuesday! Tell Me Something Tuesday which 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 'Does it bother you when a book cover doesn't fit the characters in the book?' In a nutshell, yes, but even so, it's not a massive pet peeve of mine. If there's a character on the cover of the book, then yes, I think it works well when the cover model fits the character of the book. It gives you a feel for who the character is, and sometimes can help you to better picture the character in your mind (although I often find my imagination creates someone different to whoever's on the cover anyway). Some of my favourite character covers include: To Be Honest by Maggie Ann Martin, the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas and the Harry Potter series (the original covers). There are plenty of covers without characters that I love and some that only feature cartoon characters i.e. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, and whilst I do like them to be as close as possible to the character in the book, it doesn't really matter too much, because it'll never 100% match who I imagine in my head. What about you? How do you feel about this? 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 today's Tell Me Something Tuesday topic, I've chosen to feature Dumplin' by Julie Murphy because a.) the cover is adorable and b.) I really want to read this book (especially before the film comes out)! I'm going to share the first two paragraphs: All the best things in my life have started with a Dolly Parton song. Including my friendship with Ellen Dryver. The song that sealed the deal was "Dumb Blonde" from her 1967 debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly. During the summer before first grade, my aunt Lucy bonded with Mrs. Dryver over their mutual devotion to Dolly. While they sipped sweet tea in the dining room, Ellen and I would sit on the couch watching cartoons, unsure of what to make of each other. Bu then one afternoon that song came on over Mrs. Dryver's stereo. Ellen tapped her foot as I hummed along, and before Dolly had even hit the chorus, we were spinning in circles and singing at the top of our lungs. Thankfully, our love for each other and Dolly ended up running deeper than one song. What do you think? Would you keep reading?
Don't forget to leave your thoughts and links in the comments below! Rating: 4 STARS Genre: Historical/Gothic Romance Standalone/Series: Dark Gothic #1 How I got this book: Bought Betrayed by those she trusted, penniless and alone, Darcie Finch is forced to accept a position that no one else dares, as assistant to dangerously attractive Dr. Damien Cole. Ignoring the whispered warnings and rumours that he's a man to fear, she takes her position at his eerie estate, where she quickly discovers that nothing is at it seems, least of all her handsome and brooding employer. As Darcie struggles with her fierce attraction to Damien, she must also deal with the blood, the disappearances ... and the murders. With her options dwindling and time running out, Darcie must rely on her instincts as she confronts the man she falling in love with. Is he an innocent and misunderstood man ... or a remorseless killer who prowls the East End streets? I'm a bit under the weather at the moment so this review will be a bit shorter than usual because I can barely stay awake right now.
I came across this book for free via BookBub and was intrigued by the synopsis. I haven't read anything by this author before so I wasn't sure what to expect. The book is fantastic! I quickly fell under its spell and found myself getting lost in the dark plot. The easiest way for me to describe this book is sort of Downton Abbey meets Jack the Ripper with plenty of romance. The main character Darcie is a very feminist character. Having dealt with a lot of pain, misery and betrayal in her past, she still manages to keep her head high whilst forging on with her life. Damien is dark, mysterious and brooding, and I love the suspense and tension that builds in both their relationship and through the very creepy plot. I love the writing, the pace was fantastic and I'm excited to continue reading this series! Hiiii :D Thanks for stopping by! I'm really enjoying these weekly Tuesday memes and hope you are too! Let's jump straight in with Tell Me Something Tuesday: Tell Me Something Tuesday which 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 things are you drawn to when choosing your next read?' So, admittedly I'm a bit of a book cover lover. I try so hard not to judge books by their cover, but I can't help it when they call out to me. Let's face it, there are some really gorgeous looking books out there. Saying that though, if the synopsis/first page doesn't grab my interest I won't pick it up just based on the cover alone and I have read some phenomenal books with really horrible covers. I do have a few 'one-click authors', you know the ones where you love their work so much that you're almost guaranteed to enjoy whatever they write next, and so anything from those certain authors I'll probably buy even without knowing much about the book itself. That's it really, I'm sort of easy come, easy go when it comes to choosing the next book to read. I don't mind switching through different genres and have found myself enjoying a wider variety of books lately than I ever have before. I'm particularly drawn to books with strong female characters, whether they are 'good', 'evil' or anything in between, that works well for me. I love books that have great diversity, whether it's representing different cultures, LGBT+, disability, mental health, body positivity etc. Add in a smidgen of romance (as long as it isn't unnecessary and detracting from the plot) and the occasional spot of magic and I'm all in! What about you? What draws you to a book? 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 paragraph of my current read, which was a really spontaneous purchase. A thick gray wall of fog hovered over the damp stones of Hanbury Street, carrying the stink of old blood and rotting entrails. Darcie Finch shivered as chilled wisps curled like talons about her slim frame, and she hastened her steps, her feet sliding precariously on the wet cobblestones. Clutching her battered leather folio against her side, she tried in vain to close her senses to the stench. So far I'm loving how dark and mysterious this book is.
What do you think? Would you keep reading? Please feel free to leave your comments and links below!
Welcome to my stop on the To Be Honest blog tour!
I'm so excited to share my review with you all! I've had my eye on this book for ages because I'm always looking for more body positive rep and I was thrilled at the chance to read it, so huge thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to participate in the tour!
Rating: 5 STARS!
Genre: Contemporary YA
Standalone/Series: Standalone How I got this book: ARC from Xpresso Book Tours
Savannah is dreading being home alone with her overbearing mother after her sister goes off to college. But if she can just get through senior year, she’ll be able to escape to college, too. What she doesn’t count on is that her mother’s obsession with weight has only grown deeper since her appearance on an extreme weight-loss show, and now Savvy’s mom is pressuring her even harder to be constantly mindful of what she eats.
Between her mom’s diet-helicoptering, missing her sister, and worrying about her collegiate future, Savvy has enough to worry about. And then she meets George, the cute new kid at school who has insecurities of his own. As Savvy and George grow closer, they help each other discover how to live in the moment and enjoy the here and now before it disappears.
I just want to jump up and down and rave about this amazing book, so you'll have to bear with me here! First of all, here's a quick summary of what I LOVE most about this book:
This book was impossible to put down from the moment I started reading, and I flew through it so quickly that I could honestly read it again. I love Savannah, I love her confidence, her positive outlook and attitude, her loyalty and her compassion. "News flash: fat isn't a bad word, Mom." I also love that she's completely relatable. She has principles that she stands by, she has her own insecurities, and she has anxiety (something I feel is portrayed exceptionally well by the author, especially since not one single person treats it as a problem or a burden they have to deal with or as something that she should just 'get over'). "It suddenly felt like all the air had been pushed out of my lungs. I swayed on my feet as the ringing in my ears began. No matter how many panic attacks I had, my body always believed that it was dying." I also found Savannah likeable and truly funny, this book had me chuckling so many times, especially when she's around George and her thoughts take a turn for the amusing. "My mouth watered (for multiple reasons, mostly the pizza, though, to be honest) and I invited him inside." Parts of this book were a little tough for me personally. I've "struggled" with my body image my entire life, and truthfully, a lot of that stems from people close to me telling me that they're worried for me, that I should try to be more healthy to the point where I no longer felt comfortable in my own skin. The way Savannah's mum treats her perfectly illustrates the things I've gone through in my own life and honestly, there were moments that were so real they had me close to tears. "You'd be a lot happier if you could just make the choice to lead a healthier life." One thing that Savannah has that I didn't is an amazing, supportive friend. I absolutely adore Grace, Savannah's best friend, who is always in Savannah's corner. Then there's George; sweet, naive, blushing George. The romance in this book is completely adorable, especially as both George and Savannah are a little clueless when it comes to expressing their feelings. If you're looking for more body positivity in your life, if you're sick and tired of body shaming and reading books with toxic friendships, I urge you to read To Be Honest. I especially recommend to fans of Becky Albertalli who I think will adore Maggie Ann Martin's writing style! I'm so thankful to Maggie Ann Martin for writing this fantastic book and to Swoon Reads for publishing it! We need more body positive YA. I feel certain that if I'd read more books like this when I was younger, I wouldn't have spent most of my teenage life feeling so insecure. "There's no expiration date on acceptance."
What do you think? Remember that you can click on the cover photo above to add To Be Honest 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 To Be Honest (US/CAN only - giveaway hosted by Xpresso Book Tours)! Rating: 4 STARS Genre: Contemporary Romance Standalone/Series: Man Hands #3 - (Can be read as a standalone) How I got this book: Bought Liam The moment Sadie Matthews walks through the daycare center door, I feel my world tilt in her direction. Again. I fell for her when I was fourteen, and I'm still not over her. Problem: she still thinks of me as a teen she used to babysit. But I've learned a few things about pleasing a woman in the last fifteen years. I can't wait to show her how good it could be. I need to move quickly before I lose her again. This is more than a game to me, but I still plan to win. Sadie I've just survived the worst year of my life. As a single mom of twin toddlers, I don't have time for a man. I barely have time to finish a thought. Who knew that Liam McAllister would grow up to be so devastating? He's everything my husband was not: tall, built, and willing to have a tea party with my girls. I can't possibly get involved with him. He's too young for me. Too handsome. But he's so persuasive... I'm so happy! This book really broke me out of my recent reading slump and I am eternally grateful!
This is the first book by these two authors that I've ever read and I haven't read the previous two books in this series. I really enjoyed this book as a standalone and at no point felt as though I'd 'missed' anything from previous books. Boy Toy is sweet and lots of fun. There were plenty of moments where I giggled aloud as I devoured this book in just two short sittings. My absolute favourite part of this book is when teenage Liam makes his little appearances. He's definitely the reason I laughed so much whilst reading this. Liam is pretty much the perfect guy. He's sweet, considerate, kind, caring, handsome and he adores kids. Sadie is fun, insecure and a fantastic mum to her twin girls. I loved getting to know these two characters, their chemistry was great, Sadie's friends are fantastic and I loved every minute of the book. Fans of Tara Sivec's romantic comedies will love Boy Toy! Happy Friday! What does everyone have planned for the weekend? I have my fingers crossed for a quiet, reading filled one!! I'm actually pretty pleased with how much I managed to do this week and am feeling a little more productive with my blog after a week of almost no posts at all and I'm really happy to be doing another #Friday56 post after missing it last week. The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
The book I've chosen today is by one of my all-time favourite romance authors, but it's not a romance novel. It's an NA thriller, and it's fantastic and extremely underrated. This book seriously messed with my head, drove me all kinds of crazy and I'm still not over it even though I read it about a year ago!! Here's the Goodreads synopsis for Bury Me by Tara Sivec: I hear screams in my head. I see blood on my hands. When I look in the mirror I see a stranger. How is it that I can remember bits and pieces of my life, but nothing of any importance and nothing that makes any sense? Everything is twisted and nothing is right. I’m choking with every breath I take, suffocating on the unknown. Two days ago, everything changed. Two days ago, the people I should trust the most became strangers in my convoluted head. The dreams I have can’t be real. The fleeting memories that whisper through my mind are scary and wrong…they have to be. If they aren’t, I have something much worse to fear than my fractured mind. I need to find out the truth, even if it destroys me. I've been told my name is Ravenna Duskin. I’m eighteen years old and I live in a prison… I know, right? Even the synopsis gives me chills! Here's my chosen quote from page 56: Staring at the pristine pink room with the bed neatly made, I scream in frustration, stomp over to the covers and rip them from the bed. Before I went outside this morning, I found a dark blue comforter in the bathroom closet and remade my bed with something I found appealing, instead of something that disgusted me. My mother must have switched the blankets after I left to go on my walk. In a fit of rage, I crumple the pink comforter in my arms, open the window next to my bed, and toss it out into the air. Clutching onto the windowsill, I watch it flutter to the ground, landing in a heap in the grass two stories below, and wish I could follow right along with it. Sorry about the longer than usual quote but I just feel that this section perfectly captures the turmoil of this character and how she's feeling.
I love this book, it really blew me away and if you decide to read it, I hope you love it as much as I did, even as you question your own sanity at the end. RATING: 2.5/3 STARS Genre: Contemporary Romance Standalone/Series: Standalone How I got this book: Bought He was that boy in the playground. The one that pulled your pigtails. The one that lifted your dress in front of the entire school. Now he's that guy in the office. The one that steals your lunch from the fridge. The one that gets away with everything. I'm sure you know him. Everyone knows that guy. He's a #JERK. Presley Malone knew her relationship with her fiancé, Jason, had run its course. The second that ring came off her finger, she didn't expect to be the pawn in an immature game played by the office jerk. His name is Haden Cooper, and he is six years younger than her. Immature and irresponsible, getting drunk and stoned every weekend like he never left college. He rode a motorcycle, carrying a different girl each week. He was everything a jerk should be—insensitive, unreliable, and most importantly, a heartbreaker. Haden enjoyed playing games, and when it came to Presley Malone, it was all too easy. Miss Know-it-all with her over-the-top OCD was soon going to get a taste of what it was like to live on the edge. But what starts off as an innocent prank soon becomes an unhealthy obsession. He is wrong for her and she is wrong for him. It's a battle of the sexes ready to go to war. But in this battle there are no winners, and it takes only one fateful night and six tequilas for their lives to take an unexpected turn that changes them both forever. Happy Tuesday! What are you reading this week? I'm still bouncing between Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton and The Novice by Taran Matharu (which has now become a buddy read). Let's jump into the first of today's blog memes. First up, we have: Tell Me Something Tuesday which 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 'At what point do you think a series has gone on too long?' This is a tricky one. I've read some amazing series that span LOADS of books i.e the Throne of Glass Series and Harry Potter, so it's hard to pick a point where a series has gone on too long. I think it's more of a feeling. If you start to lose interest in the plot or the characters, that's a major indicator that the series has gone on too long, but I suppose that can happen in any book, not just a series. There are a few series that I've grown tired of, the Divergent series being the most obvious one for me. I'm not sure what happened there, I loved book one, tolerated book two and completely lost interest in book three; I just wasn't invested in the characters anymore. The Mortal Instruments series was also a tough one for me to finish. As a romantic, I wanted more of the lovey dovey stuff, but felt like it took forever to get there. I enjoyed the magic and the characters but more than once, I almost stopped reading. I guess it doesn't matter how long a series is, if the characters are compelling and grow throughout the novel, if the plot is engaging and ever changing, if the writing/voice is consistently good, I'll probably keep reading! What do you think? Is there a point where you think a series has gone on too long? 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 six part series that I'm really enjoying. There are only 3 books out at the moment, and I can't wait to keep reading! The old spellmasters like to say that magic has a taste. Ember spells are like a spice burning the tip of your tongue. Breath magic is subtle, almost cool, the sensation of holding a mint leaf between your lips. Sand, silk, blood, iron...they each have their flavour. A true adept - the kind of mage who can cast spells even outside an oasis knows them all. Me? I had no idea what the high magics tasted like, which was why I was in so much trouble. What do you think? Would you/have you read this? Feel free to leave your comments and links below. |
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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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