Category: Discussion

2021 Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag

Folks, it’s true. I’m back! It’s been a long 18 months since you’ve heard from me, but my job got extremely busy and complicated last year and has just now decided to finally slow back down and let me get back to the wonderful world of blogging. Did you miss me? You know I missed you! And hey, what better way to get reintroduce myself to you than a mid-year catch up?

Best Book You’ve Read So Far

Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far

55169010

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To

Most Anticipated Release For The Second Half Of The Year

Biggest Disappointment

44280973

I was super excited for this book when it was first announced. However, I found it to be incredibly slow and the mystery didn’t quite capture my interest like I thought it would. I was just expecting a little bit more from this one.

Biggest Surprise

46261182._SY475_

This is a series that I came across on Kindle Unlimited and I had no idea what to expect. But man, oh man, did this series have me hooked from the very first page. It’s not amazing, nor will the writing win any prizes, but it is soooo stinking fun. It’s my guilty pleasure series of 2021… and no, I do not feel one ounce of guilt for loving it. Definitely recommend it if you want some naughty fun, but fair warning that a large portion of it does deal with some very adult situations around extreme bullying.

Favorite New Author (Debut/New To You)

53066550._SX318_SY475_

Whattttttt?! Larkin’s choice is a rom-com writer?! Yes, it’s true! I started listening to Jenny Colgan’s books on audio earlier this year and really fell in love. They’re cozy and cute and the small Scottish village setting really becomes its own character. Her books are like eating your favorite comfort food. I can’t get enough!

Newest Fictional Crush

50892338

Selwyn Kane. Bad boy and resident Merlin… Be still my beating heart.

Newest Favorite Character

16204601._SX318_

Sophie and Howl. I couldn’t really choose just one of them because their hilarious back and forth sassy comments made this book for me. I caught myself laughing aloud whenever they got into one of their arguments. And controversial opinion time: The book is wayyyy better than Miyazaki’s film adaptation. Like not even close.

Book That Made You Cry

52013133

Yes, I bawled my eyes out at this finale. No shame.

Book That Made You Happy

54303971

I was provided an ARC of this book from the publisher and enjoyed it so much. It had the cutest little romance that made me smile the entire time I read it.

Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought So Far This Year

36253143._SY475_

What Books Do You Need To Read By The End Of The Year

Favorite Book To Movie Adaptation You’ve Seen This Year

It’s not a movie, but the Shadow and Bone series on Netflix was absolutely amazing. It completely blew my expectations out of the water! I just really need season two to come out immediately, please!

What is your favorite book read of 2021 so far? Biggest disappointment? Have you discovered a new favorite author? What book are you most looking forward to reading in the second half of the year?

2020 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

Every year POPSUGAR announces a reading challenge and every year I participate but never actually end up completing it. Last year I did a much better job than I had previously, but still didn’t quite make it through all of the prompts. However, this year I really, really, REALLYYYYY want to finish this challenge for this first time ever. 2020 is supposed to be the year for new beginnings after all, right?

With that being said, I really enjoy how random and diverse the prompts are with this reading challenge and encourage anyone to try it out, especially if you enjoy no pressure challenges. It’s purely for fun and to get readers to expand their reading horizons. If you are interested, I recommend checking out the GOODREADS GROUP, as it is super helpful with a very engaged community.

2020 Prompts and (Tentative) TBR

Regular 

A book that’s published in 2020 – The Empire of Gold (The Daevabad Trilogy, #3) by S.A. Chakraborty

A book by a trans or nonbinary author – The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

A book with a great first line – Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

A book about a book club – The Rejected Writers’ Book Club by Suzanne Kelman

A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics – Warcross (Warcross, #1) by Marie Lu

A bildungsroman – The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

The first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed – The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O by Neal Stephenson

A book with an upside-down image on the cover – The Beautiful (The Beautiful, #1) by Renee Ahdieh

A book with a map – Five Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns, #4) by Kendare Blake

A book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club – Final Girls by Riley Sager

An anthology – From a Certain Point of View (Star Wars) by Elizabeth Schaefer

A book that passes the Bechdel test – Honor Lost (Honors, #3) by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre

A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it – Invictus by Ryan Graudin

A book by an author with flora or fauna in their name – Valiant (A Modern Faerie Tale, #2) by Holly Black

A book published the month of your birthday (January) – The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams

A book about or by a woman in STEM – Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

A book that won an award in 2019 – The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1) by R.F. Kuang

A book on a subject you know nothing about – Surprise, Kill, Vanish: The Secret History of CIA Paramilitary Armies, Operators, and Assassins by Annie Jacobsen

A book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics – Last of Her Name by Jessica Khoury

A book with a pun in the title – The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins – The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings, #1) by Mackenzi Lee

A book with a robot, cyborg, or AI character – Defy the Fates (Constellation, #3) by Claudia Gray

A book with a bird on the cover – A Gathering of Ravens (Grimnir, #1) by Scott Oden

A fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader – State of Sorrow (Sorrow, #1) by Melinda Salisbury

A book with “gold”, “silver”, or “bronze” in the title – Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown

A book by a WOC – The Silence of Bones by June Hur

A book with a four-star rating on Goodreads – The Lioness of Morocco by Julia Drosten

A book you meant to read in 2019 – Kingsbane (Empirium, #2) by Claire Legrand

A book about or involving social media – If You’re Out There by Katy Loutzenhiser

A book that has a book on the cover – Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle

A medical thriller – Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

A book with a made-up language – Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1) by James S.A. Corey

A book set in a country beginning with “C” – Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

A book you picked because the title caught your attention – Layoverland by Gabby Noone

A book with a three word title – Now Entering Addamsville by Francesa Zappia

A book with a pink cover – Speak Easy, Speak Love by McKelle George

A Western – Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist

A book by or about a journalist – Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

Read a banned book during Banned Books Week (September 20-26) – Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Your favorite prompt from a past year: A book you started but never finished (2015) – Middlemarch by George Eliot

Advanced

A book written by an author in their 20’s – That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

A book with “20” or “twenty” in the title – The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy, #1) by Indu Sundaresan

A book with a character with a vision impairment or enhancement (a nod to 20/20 vision) – Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle, #2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

A book set in Japan, host of the 2020 Olympics – Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

A book set in the 1920’s – Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners, #3) by Libba Bray

A book by an author who has written more than 20 books – Sword and Pen (The Great Library, #5) by Rachel Caine

A book with more than 20 letters in its title – The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobs

A book published in the 20th century – The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough

A book from a series with more than 20 books – Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1) by Steven Erikson

A book with a main character in their 20’s – The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Will you be participating in the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge this year? Have you participated before? Did you complete it? Have you read any of the books on my TBR?

My Unpopular Bookish Opinions

I’m going to be upfront and state that I’m a very opinionated person. There are very few things that I don’t especially feel one way or another about. I’m also pretty vocal about those opinions. However, I never force them on anyone else and I’m always interested in hearing other thoughts on them as well. With that being said, I decided to share a few of my personal thoughts on random bookish things. I mean, who doesn’t love a little discussion?!

I really do not care for anthologies.

Here’s the deal, I appreciate the idea behind them but I just don’t enjoy short stories on the whole. I feel like there’s not enough time to really dive into a story before it’s over. And most of the time, they’re just boring because they are so short that nothing actually happens. So yeah, short stories are not my jam. I only own one anthology and it’s the Star Wars one released as a special edition a couple of years ago… And I still haven’t been able to make it halfway through it. C’est la vie.

I struggle to enjoy contemporary novels.

I’m an escapist reader. I love to live in different times, places, and worlds through my novels. This makes it really hard for me to enjoy contemporary stories, unless there’s something unique to the plot. Now I do enjoy contemporaries set in other areas of the world, such as Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows or Love & Gelato. But typically, I’m super picky about contemporaries and I’m not ashamed about that.

I will not buy used or damaged books.

I’m a book collector. I enjoy buying beautiful books to add to my shelves and so this makes me prefer to purchase only new ones. It really bothers me to have damaged books. Maybe this stems from me being very careful with my personal books and never letting them get damaged. But either way, I just can’t justify buying a damaged product just to save a little money. If you’re like me and on a budget and located in Canada or the U.S., I really recommend using Book Outlet to buy new books at a low cost!

I like a good love triangle.

Yes, that’s right! I actually enjoy love triangles in books! I think my favorite part is rooting for one character over the other. This usually is helped by the fact that one of the characters I probably actively dislike (LOOKING AT YOU, STUPID MAL!!!!!).

What are some of your unpopular bookish opinions? Do you agree or disagree with any of mine? Is there a specific genre that your struggle to enjoy as well? 

My Top Five Auto-Buy Authors

We all have our favorite authors. Those authors who it doesn’t really matter what they’re writing about because we’re going to buy it either way. Before today, I had never really sat down and thought about which authors I naturally gravitate towards. But I think it’s interesting to talk about the authors that we love and why we love their work, which is why I wanted to share a few of my favorites with y’all!

Samantha Shannon

I don’t what it is about Shannon’s writing, but she always has me hooked into the world and plot in the very first paragraph. Her world-building is just phenomenal and she creates characters that are so complex and aren’t necessarily always good or bad. I really appreciate authors who can create characters that feel very real to me, which usually means they are very flawed and aren’t necessarily always doing the right thing. And you best believe that I am anxiously awaiting for my preorder of The Priory of the Orange Tree to arrive next week!

Emily Henry

I will be the first to admit that I typically hate magical realism, like I will go out of my way to not read magical realism. But dammit, if Emily Henry doesn’t make me pick up her books every single time a new one comes out! I’m not sure why it is but her writing style of magical realism is so much more accessible than the others that I have read. I never feel confused as to what is happening plot-wise. Also, Henry’s stories will make you feel ALL the feels, especially A Million Junes. I’m actually really interested in her upcoming release When the Sky Fell on Splendor, as it’s science fiction instead of her usual magical realism and I am so here for it.

Claudia Gray

Gray is my go-to for some amazing science fiction with strong female characters. I also like how I’m never bored with her stories. They’re really fast-paced and very engaging. I also love her writes relationships, whether it’s romantic or strictly platonic. She’s also a hardcore Star Wars fan (like your’s truly!) and has written a few new canon novels which I highly recommend. I have a few of the most recent ones that I still need to get to…

Leila Meacham

I love a great sweeping historical fiction novel and Leila Meacham writes those to perfection. She has this ability to immediately draw you into her novel and transport you back in time. I also really appreciate a well-written romance, which features prominently in her stories. I had no idea that she had a new release coming out that is set during WWII, called Dragonfly. I am pre-ordering that one immediately!

Pierce Brown

I will never not stop recommending Brown’s books to every single person I know. His writing is so expansive with some AMAZING political intrigue and epic battles sprinkled throughout. He does write adult science fiction so the situations can be very grim and violent. But my gosh, does he pull you into the world while falling in love with such flawed and complex characters.

What are some of your favorite/auto-buy authors? What is it about their writing that makes you want to read everything they create? Have you read any of the authors on my list? If so, what did you think of them?

My 2018 Mid-Year Personal Reading Goals

With the month of June already over the halfway point, I thought it’d be a good time to reevaluate some of my personal reading goals for the second half of the year. It’s always a good idea to take some time for personal reflection, even if it’s just over your reading habits! With that being said, here are some reading goals that I’d like to start/continue with for the rest of 2018.

  1. Read at least one book from a subscription box per month.

Right now, I have an excess of books built up from previous book boxes. I haven’t been very good at picking them up in a timely manner and it’s really time to start. I’ll probably focus on books I’ve received from Book of the Month Club first, as I feel like those are the ones I’ve pushed to the side more than ones from other boxes.

2. Finish/catch up on a series before starting a new one.

Let’s be real, we all start wayyyyy too many series and have the hardest time finishing them in a timely manner. I really need to try and not do that so much! I’ve been doing a pretty good job on catching up/finishing series during the first half of the year and so I want to focus on continuing with that. It makes me feel so accomplished when I finish a series, haha!

3. Focus more on reading books that have been on my shelves/TBR for a long time.

I own close to 300 books and half of those are unread which isn’t something I’m really proud of. I hope to remedy some of that for the rest of the year, by focusing more on my backlisted titles. I know how much I love all of the shiny new preorders that show up at my house on their release date, but I really need to learn to push them aside for just a little while. Stay strong, Larkin!

4. Read at least one diverse book a month.

I’ve actually been doing really good about this during the first half of the year, but I really want to continue doing so far the rest of the year. I actually have a Native American own voices novel up next on my TBR which I’m really excited to get to!

5. Be okay with DNFing books that I’m not enjoying.

I really struggle with DNFing books. I always feel like I’m failing if I don’t actually try and push myself to finish the book that I’m reading. However, I think it’s a good idea to know when something doesn’t work for you and to be okay with that. I was recently listening to the audiobook of Call Me By Your Name, and since it’s such a beloved book, I was struggling to continue listening to it because I thought maybe I would enjoy it if I just stuck with it. But after a few hours into it, I knew that it wasn’t going to work for me based on the writing style. And surprisingly enough, I felt so much better after I DNFed and moved on to a different book that I enjoyed so much more.

What are some of your personal reading goals for the rest of the year? Do you like to reflect on your reading goals throughout the year? Do you have any of the same reading goals as me?

Talk Me Into/Out Of… Books on My TBR

Fun fact about me: I’m a pretty avid Redditor. I won’t deny that I visit the amazing site every single day. It’s my dose of daily news and random fun stuff. If you wonder why I’m not the biggest Twitter person, it’s because you’ll find me on Reddit instead. And one of my favorites subs is Asian Beauty (HUGE k-beauty fan right hurrrr!), which will occasionally host one of my favorite threads, Talk Me Into/Out Of. It’s basically just a thread where different Redditors will post products that they’re on the fence about purchasing and would like for others more familiar with said product, to give them little reviews on it and whether or not they thought it was worth purchasing.

This got me thinking about how awesome would it be to apply this same post to books on my TBR that I’m not really sure on whether or not I want to keep them around. That’s a great thing about this community, you can always count on someone else to have read a book that you’re interested in!… Anyways, below I will list some of the books that I’m not really sure about and if you’ve read them then please let me know what your thoughts are on them! Help a sister out, please!!!

And so it begins…

29346927

Rosemarked (Rosemarked, #1) by Livia Blackburne

This book was being mentioned a lot when it was first released back in the fall. I think it was mostly because of a really strong marketing campaign and was sent in a couple of different subscription boxes, as I haven’t heard it being talked about since then. The synopsis sounds interesting but I also get this feeling that it could also be a really slow read, and I just don’t prefer slow fantasy novels. I like to be really engaged in the stories I’m reading (who doesn’t, right?!). And as someone with TONS of fantasies that really interest me, this one I’m just not sure about.

32505753

 

Ash Princess (Ash Princess, #3) by Laura Sebastian

I’m really on the fence about this one. On the one hand, the synopsis sounds like every single other fantasy novel out there and on the other, it seems that a lot of people have really been enjoying it. It’s a book that I don’t already own and so I’m just not sure if it’s worth it.

 

32737635

 

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson

I’m not the biggest fan of contemporary novels in the first place, and this one also suffers from a fairly low rating on Goodreads. The only reason that I haven’t tossed it yet is because I actually own a copy that I received in a Book of the Month box. The synopsis sounds pretty interesting and different than anything I’ve ever read, but then I think there must be a reason for all of the low ratings – such as shitty writing, underdeveloped characters, or over-dramatization (the biggest offender in contemporary novels!). I’m just not sure how I feel about reading a book that will probably not leave me in the best mood. I just prefer upbeat stories.. Sorry, not sorry!

25314447

 

Given to the Sea (Given Duet, #1) by Mindy McGinnis

So this book was sent out in a FairyLoot box, which means it should’ve been really popular with tons of reviews. However, I don’t remember ever seeing even one. Which is a little disheartening, especially after seeing how low the ratings are for it on Goodreads. I also know how McGinnis can be a really hit or miss author for most people, and I wasn’t particularly impressed by the one book of hers that I’ve read. However, I think this is her first venture into the true fantasy genre so it could be better than her contemporary novels.

23308087

 

Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist, #1) by Renee Ahdieh

I was really excited about this book when it was first being announced. I mean, I know we were all excited to hear about a book inspired by the story of Mulan. However, since this book was released, I’ve heard tons of talk that the story was actually really slow and boring. HOW CAN YOU TURN MULAN INTO A BORING RETELLING?!?!?! So yeah, I’m not sure how I really feel about that now. For a book that I was initially really excited for, I now could care less about it.

Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, please talk me into/out of them. If you want to recommend another book instead, please feel free to do so as well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subscription Box Review: A Court of Candles, ACOFAS Limited Edition Box

It’s been a veryyyyyy long time since I reviewed a one of my subscription boxes, so I thought it was time to dive back into doing that again. It’s also a really good time to do so, as I have started doing one time purchases from random ones in order to get a feel for which work for me the most.

My newest addition is the A Court of Candles Limited Edition A Court of Frost and Starlight Box. And I have to say that it exceeded my expectations for my first candle subscription box. This service offers two different sized boxes, Demi-Fae (which does not offer the shirt/tote option) and High-Fae which includes all items. I chose the High-Fae option so I could get a complete feel for this company.

  • Quote Shirt – Obviously this is the most famous quote from this series, which I totally love. If you ordered the High Fae sized box, then you got to choose between a shirt or tote bag option. I prefer tshirts because I wear the crap out of them, whereas I don’t find myself using all of the totes that I’ve accumulated over the past few years. I really like the color of the shirt and obviously the quote, however, the fabric is not soft at all and a bit stiff. I’m hoping a few turns in the laundry will fix that.
  • Diffuser Necklace – Not really my favorite piece in the box. It’s quite large and not my style at all. However, it’s a really interesting idea that I would never have thought of and I appreciate that kind of creativity. Also, the fragrance oil smells nice.
  • Art Print – I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty obsessed with this gorgeous piece of Rhysand and Feyre by artist Salome Totladze. She also designed all of the character labels in this box as well. She’s super talented! This print is just too pretty not to frame and is actually a really good size. It’s nice that they made it bigger than normal prints you get in boxes.
  • Nessian Bookmark – Also designed by Salome, this bookmark is way pretty! Nesta and Cassian are one of my fave couples in this series, so I appreciate that I now have a bookmark of them! However, I wish the bookmark had been printed on sturdier paper and was just a little smaller. But it’ll be perfect for some of my larger books!
  • CANDLES!!! – As I’ve mentioned many times before, I’m obsessed with candles. I burn them pretty much every single day. Yes, I actually use my candles!! I always find it a little strange that people keep them and never burn them, but anyways… I love love love that all of the candles in this box actually have a strong scent. I hate when you get candles but then can’t really smell them, which isn’t a problem here! I can’t wait to get to burning all of these pretties! Scents are listed below.
    • Rhysand: Black Sea, Midsummer’s Night – softer than I thought it would be but I really like it.
    • Morrigan: Cherry, Citrus, Cinnamon – not really my favorite, as the cherry is pretty strong and I was hoping for more citrus.
    • Amren: Grapefruit, Cassis, Sidra – I love the smell of grapefruit and this one is mixed really well. Perfect for summertime!
    • Cassian: Leather, Vanilla, Bamboo – smells like a really strong man. So you basically get Cassian in a candle and I ain’t gonna complain about that! 😉
    • Azriel: Marine, Violet, Musk – this is probably my favorite candle in the box. It smells soft and mysterious with the musk standing out the most. Love it!
    • Winter Solstice: Wine, Crackling Fire, Pine – definitely has a wintery smell and makes me want to curl up with a book by the fire.
    • Frost & Starlight: Hazelnut, Chocolate, Pine Cones – DEFINITELY smells like chocolate, almost a little too much.
    • Feyre: Pear, Lilac, Ginseng – soft and floral which works really well now in the springtime.

All in all, I really enjoyed this box! The candles all have really distinct scents, rather than smelling the same. I also like most of the extra items in the box, especially the print and bookmark. I do plan to order from A Court of Candles again in the future, especially when I start to run low on candles again.

Have you ever ordered from any candle subscription boxes before? Have you purchased from A Court of Candles? If so, what did you think of them? What are some of your favorite subscription boxes?

Common Thoughts and Emotions of a Reader

As readers, we tend to go through lots of different emotional/mental stages. It’s pretty much expected that our books will take us down many winding paths. (It comes with the territory.) With that being said, here are a few thoughts and moments that almost every booknerd will have at least once, or if you’re like me, constantly.

1. The I’m-So-Excited-To-Start-This-Book Feeling

tumblr_oizh2rEtjC1v1z098o1_400

You know you’ve probably done this dance at least once when starting a book that you’ve been really excited about.

2. The Why-Would-The-Author-Do-This-To-Me Cry

tumblr_ojqyq1lvEu1rfd7lko1_500

Yeah, I think this was me while reading Crooked Kingdom… Like, really, Bardugo? Why you gotta do me like that?!

3. The It’s-Now-4AM-And-I-Have-To-Be-Awake-In-Two-Hours Binge Read Realization

tumblr_orzepk3ehP1qe8lb8o1_400

The nights are fun but the next day is most certainly not.

4. The I-Have-Six-Different-Subscription-Boxes-Coming-This-Month Guilt Trip

tumblr_p1vxc2ACJ71wzypxlo1_500

But does it matter as long as I really, really, really, really “needed” all of them?!

5. The I-Was-Sooooo-Excited-For-This-Book-But-Oh-My-God-I-Really-Don’t-Like-It Frustration Rant

tumblr_opsoynyH2C1w4o831o1_500.gif

Well, wasn’t that just a waste of my time. WHYYYYYYYYYY??!!!

6. The I-Really-Should-Buy-More-Books-Even-Though-I-Have-So-Many-Unread-On-My-Shelves-Already Moment

tumblr_o7hyjk844z1uo5sa6o1_500

I’m pretty sure this is why I’m always broke.

7. The Well-I-Now-Have-A-Crush-On-A-Fictional-Character-So-There’s-That Moment of Acceptance

tumblr_ohfeo54LDV1tb8iyko1_500.gif

“Yes, Grandma! I actually am involved with someone right now and no, you don’t know his family.”

8. The Favorite-Author-Is-Going-To-Make-An-Announcement-Today Anxious Waiting

tumblr_oh7k2qcisR1tkozpxo1_500.gif

If you’re not announcing the release date for the next book in the series then I don’t even want to hear it. IT’S BEEN 2 YEARS, DAMMIT!

 9. The I-Can’t-Believe-I-Have-To-Wait-Another-Year-To-Find-Out-What-Happens-Next Annoyance

tumblr_oe4nthVEdt1ufw8o4o1_500

Oh, goody. Another cliffhanger that won’t be answered any time soon… Thanks for that, jerk!

10. The Books-Are-Just-Really-The-Greatest-Thing-Ever Moment of Happiness

tumblr_p52p6fm4li1wxvtido1_r1_500.gif

More like a constant state of bliss, amirite?

Have you experienced all of the thoughts or emotions as a reader? What other moments have you had?

 

 

 

February Wrap-Up: Reviews, Reading Challenges, etc.

I ended up not reading as much as I had originally planned in February, but I think it’s okay to have months where you just take it a little easy with your reading. If I had tried forcing myself to speed through as many books as I could, I would no doubt send myself into a reading slump (it never fails). Luckily, I’ve been taking time with my books and mixing them up some with Netflix. I also binged the entire K-drama Reply 1997 and am now obsessed. So all in all, I’d call it a pretty successful month!

Books Read

  • The Belles (The Belles, #1) by Dhonielle Clayton – 4/5 stars, REVIEW
  • Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms, #2) by Morgan Rhodes – 5/5 stars
  • I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Good – 4/5 stars, REVIEW
  • Wandering Star (Zodiac, #2) by Romina Russell – 5/5 stars
  • The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black – 4/5 stars

Total Books Read: 5

Overall in 2018: 15

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

  • A book set on a different planet – Wandering Star
  • A book with song lyrics in the title – I Believe in a Thing Called Love

Goodreads Challenge

Total: 15/75

Previous Total: 10/75

Blog Posts

Book Reviews

WWW Wednesday

Hype or Like Friday

Discussions/Misc.

How did your reading month of February go? Were you able to read all of the books on your TBR? Did you read any new favorites? Did you do anything fun or interesting? What book did you like the least?

The Wonder Woman Book Tag

As always, big thanks to the lovely and lively Lilly @ Lair of Books for tagging me in this. I absolutely loved this movie and am so excited to do this fun tag!

Wonder Woman: Your favorite badass female book character…

Red-Rising-Trilogy-by-Pierce-Brown

Victra from the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, then you’re probably tired of hearing me talk about Victra. Well sorry, not sorry! Because I will never stop talking about the biggest badass that I’ve ever read about. I will go down swinging if you dare disrespect my favorite. Just kidding!…. (sort of.)

Fantasy Island: A book setting you want to escape to…

20821306

The Zodiac from the Zodiac series by Romina Russell

Yes, I’m one of those people loves obsessing over what people’s astrological sign is and if they match its personality. I have no shame to admit that. Which is why I absolutely love the world that Russell has created with each sign having its own planets and people that reflect that sign’s attributes. As an Aquarian, I would have amethyst eyes. HOW COOL IS THAT?!

London: A hyped book that let you down…

34019862

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Rise of the Empress, #1) by Julie C. Dao

Antiheroes are awesome. However, they need to have nuances with them to help us sympathize and form a connection with them. Well, Xifeng is completely lacking in any qualities that made me want to root for her. In fact, I just wanted for someone to kick her ass! She treated everyone awful and the only reason she thought she was supposed to be queen was because her aunt said so and because she’s pretty. Yeah, hard pass.

Steve Trevor: A book that has a beautiful cover and a great story (i.e. good personality)…

32718027

The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1) by S.A. Chakraborty

My favorite book of 2018 is an absolute gem! I finished this book and immediately wanted to reread it, which never happens! I don’t know how I’m going to survive waiting until the sequel is released. Seriously, if you haven’t picked this book yet then you’re really missing out. IT. IS. AMAZING.

Lasso of Truth: A book you hated…

28588345

The Midnight Star (The Young Elites, #3) by Marie Lu

I was completely in love with this series and dying to see how it would all end with this finale book. And well… all we got was a load of crap. This is without a doubt the worst series finale that I’ve ever read. I truly believe that Lu was just writing some nonsense to finish off this series so she could focus on her other books. Most of the characters lost all of their depth and personality traits and the climax was so rushed, it just felt completely jumbled and lacked any sort of importance. I’ve never finished a book so pissed off before. The only good part was the epilogue which was beautiful but only like 4 pages long.

Wonder Woman’s Shield: A book so sad that you need a shield…

16143347

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

This book gets some hate from some people, but it literally killed me. I was not prepared for what happened and ugly cried for a good hour. You’ve been warned!

Ares: a villain that is scary, but you can’t seem to hate them…

 29923707

Katherine from the Three Dark Crowns series by Kendare Blake

I know you’re supposed to hate her because she’s a Poisoner, but I can’t seem to do it. I’m just too intrigued by her to hate her. She’s really just a fascinating character and I love the growth her character has done.

The Amazons: A book that you wish had more/better LGBT+ representation…

12954620

Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes

I’ve only just finished the second book in this series so maybe we get some LGBT+ representation in the later books. Because in my head cannon, Lucia is bi and that’s all there is to it. I need her to have a relationship with another girl like immediately! I’m also rooting for Nic to fall for a guy. I can totally picture him falling for someone in the army.

Do you agree with my choices? What would you pick for the different questions? I’m tagging anyone who wants to do it, so be sure to link back to this post so I can see all of your wonderful posts!