A Million Worlds With You – Wonderfilled Reads

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

June was a decent reading month for me as I started my Smashing Series Round 2. I focused mostly on catching up on or finishing series that I had already started. I’ll be continuing that Smashing Series through this month, so expect to see more series reviews!

I did start listening to audiobooks for the first time ever in June and can now say that I actually love them. I listen to them all day while I’m at work so if it seems like I speed through them faster than normal, that’s why. Also, if you know of any good ones then please let me know!

Books Read

The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor – 4/5 stars, audiobook
Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) by Victoria Aveyard – 3/5 stars, REVIEW
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan – 3/5 stars, audiobook
Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird, #2) by Claudia Gray – 5/5 stars, REVIEW
A Million Worlds with You (Firebird, #3) by Claudia Gray – 4/5 stars, REVIEW
Aftermath: Life Debt (Star Wars: Aftermath, #2) by Chuck Wendig – 4/5 stars
Aftermath: Empire’s End (Star Wars: Aftermath, #3) by Chuck Wendig – 4/5 stars
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee – 2/5 stars
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman – 4/5 stars, audiobook
Pure (Pure, #1) by Julianna Baggott – 4/5 stars, audiobook
The Crown’s Game (The Crown’s Game, #1) by Evelyn Skye – 4/5 stars, REVIEW

I think that’s a pretty damn good reading month, but that’s just my own personal opinion of course haha! However, I do freely admit that my reviews are lacking a bit. I’ve decided not review my audiobooks but if there is one that you’d like me to review, then let me know!

Total Books Read: 11

Overall in 2017: 36

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

First book in a series you haven’t read before – The Crown’s Game (The Crown’s Game, #1)
A book set in two different time periods – The Lost Letter
A book with a title that’s a character’s name – Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore
A book involving travel – Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird, #2)
An audiobook – The Graveyard Book

A Book of Letters – We Are Still Tornadoes
A Book by a Person of Color – A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes, #2)
A Bestseller from a Genre You Don’t Normally Read – Big Little Lies
A Book Published in 2017 – Caraval (Caraval, #1)
The First Book in a Series You Haven’t Read Before – Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1)
A book by or about a person who has a disability – The Architect of Song
A book that’s been on your TBR list for way too long – Red Queen (Red Queen, #1)
A Book by an Author Who Uses a Pseudonym – A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic, #3)
A Book Involving a Mythical Creature – Heartstone

Beat the Backlist

The Graveyard Book
Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2)
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore
Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird, #2)
A Million Worlds with You (Firebird, #3)
Aftermath: Life Debt (Star Wars: Aftermath, #2)
Aftermath: Empire’s End (Star Wars: Aftermath, #3)

Goodreads Challenge

Total: 36/100
Previous Total: 25/100

Blog Posts

Teaser Tuesday

WWW Wednesday

Hype or Like Friday

Discussions/Misc.

How did your reading/blogging go during June? Did you read any good books? How are you doing on your own reading challenges?

Book Review: A Million Worlds with You (Firebird, #3)

While very enjoyable and as exciting as the first two books in the series, A Million Worlds with You (Firebird, #3) by Claudia Gray, just didn’t quite measure up to the previous books in the series.

A million universes. A million dangers. One destiny.

The fate of the multiverse rests in Marguerite Caine’s hands. Marguerite has been at the center of a cross-dimensional feud since she first traveled to another universe using her parents’ invention, the Firebird. Only now has she learned the true plans of the evil Triad Corporation—and that those plans could spell doom for dozens or hundreds of universes, each facing total annihilation.

Paul Markov has always been at Marguerite’s side, but Triad’s last attack has left him a changed man—angry and shadowed by tragedy. He struggles to overcome the damage done to him, but despite Marguerite’s efforts to help, Paul may never be the same again.

So it’s up to Marguerite alone to stop the destruction of the multiverse. Billions of lives are at stake. The risks have never been higher. And Triad has unleashed its ultimate weapon: another dimension’s Marguerite—wicked, psychologically twisted, and always one step ahead.

In the conclusion to Claudia Gray’s Firebird trilogy, fate and family will be questioned, loves will be won and lost, and the multiverse will be forever changed. It’s a battle of the Marguerites…and only one can win.

As always, Claudia Gray knows how to keep the action going. You never have any trouble with growing bored or tired, as her pacing is always a steady wave. I loved how exciting this book was from start to finish. Basically this entire trilogy is one wild ride that you never want to get off of. I’ll probably read any book that Gray ever writes now, if this suspenseful action is her M.O.

My wonderful characters are still just as amazing in this finale. Marguerite has developed into such a feisty and strong character. She doesn’t let anything stand between her and saving her family. I loved how a strong family unit is portrayed in this series, as families or even parents, are usually nonexistent. But not here! Marguerite’s parents are so adorable and amazing. I always enjoy when they go off on one of their science tangents, so cute! Paul continues to be such a dreamy book boyfriend. I loved how his character goes through a transformation in this book. I found it interesting how much he changes and has such a realistic reaction to everything he’s gone through. And I finally really enjoyed Theo in this book. I always found him kind of shifty and didn’t really trust him as a character. I almost felt like Gray was trying too hard to create a really cool character, an opposite of Paul. However, I finally grew used to him though and was able to enjoy his personality.

My only issue with this final book was that the ending was a bit too clean and easy. I’m sure y’all know by now how much I prefer my endings imperfect and bittersweet. It just doesn’t feel so real if things turn out perfect. I mean I know it’s fiction, obviously, but I still want them to be a little messy. I actually thought that Gray would give me that kind of ending, but unfortunately (for me), that wasn’t the case. Happy endings galore for those of you who prefer that sort of thing! Everything just felt too quick, too perfect. I almost felt like if you blinked then you could’ve missed that it was over.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series. It was an incredibly fun ride, full of all sorts of twists and turns. I loved never knowing what was going to happen or where Marguerite’s dimension traveling would bring her to next. If you’re looking for a science fiction novel that is fun, full of a swoon-worthy romance, and the cutest family ever… this is it.

Final Verdict: 4/5 Stars

Have you read A Million Worlds with You? What did you think of the Firebird trilogy? Did you enjoy the ending? Which Marguerite was your favorite?

WWW Wednesday – June 21st, 2017

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) by Victoria Aveyard

This book is decent so far. I wouldn’t say that it’s as exciting as the first book, but it’s still decent. I have about 70 pages left though and hope to finish it today. I’ve been going slower with this book but I’m also currently in the process of moving so I haven’t been doing much reading this week so far.

If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

So if you follow me on Twitter, you’ll probably have heard that I started my first audiobook earlier this week. Well I finished it yesterday on my way home from work and decided for my next one, that I would go with this book that’s been on my TBR list since forever ago. When I saw that Audible offered the full cast production of it, I knew I had to have it. I just started it this morning and am already in love! I definitely recommend this version if you’re interested in it.

After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod’s family…

Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor
A Million Worlds with You (Firebird, #3) by Claudia Gray

The Lost Letter was my first audiobook ever and I loved it. It was a great love story, told in such a unique way that it didn’t feel like the same ol’ same ol’ WWII novel. I loved how it went back and forth between 1938 and 1989, showing how the two different POVs were connected. I also recommend the audiobook for this one, as the narrators did a great job!

A Million Worlds with You was a great conclusion to this trilogy. I do think that the ending was a bit wrapped up too easily, but other than that, it was a really thrilling story. If you want a good romance story full of action and adventure, then this trilogy is probably what you’re looking for.

What do you think you’ll read next?

King’s Cage (Red Queen, #3) by Victoria Aveyard
The Crown’s Game (The Crown’s Game, #1) by Evelyn Skye – Hype or Like Friday June BOTM

I have decided to extend Smashing Series Round 2 through the end of July. I realized I actually have more series that I originally thought, and I think it’s time to knock them all out. I’ll be posting my July TBR next week sometime but until then, I’ll finish out June with these two beauties.

What are you currently reading? Have you read any good books this past week? Have you ever listened to an audiobook? What do you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday in the comments below!