Defy the Stars – Wonderfilled Reads

My Favorite Books Featuring Strong Female Characters

I’m sure like most of you do, I always enjoy reading a story that features strong and independent female characters. I never fail to feel an intense connection with those types of characters, as I like to think of myself as a fairly strong female as well. Everyone needs to be able to find a sense of strength and inspiration from their books and I think there’s nothing better than getting that from a special character. Long after you may forget what the plot from that book was about, you’ll still be able to remember that character and what they mean to you.

And don’t worry boys, you’ll get your turn soon!

Skyward (Skyward, #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Spensa is a total badass pilot. She never lets anything stop her from doing what she knows she was born to do. Also, her snarky comebacks never fail to make me laugh aloud.

Spensa’s world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes of what’s left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa’s dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with that of her father’s—a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa the daughter of a coward, her chances of attending Flight School slim to none.

No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, yet fate works in mysterious ways. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars.

Golden Son (Red Rising, #2) by Pierce Brown

Victra is life and anyone who disagrees can fight me over it.

As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds—and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within.

A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love—but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution—and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.

He must live for more.

Sadie by Courtney Summers

Sadie is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve ever come across. She will do anything to avenge her sister’s death and I can totally respect that.

A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she’s left behind. And an ending you won’t be able to stop talking about.

Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.

Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World, #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

I want to be a monster hunter just like Maggie when I grow up. Can I say something like that even though I’m already 28? Eh, I don’t care. She’s fierce and I love it.

While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters.

Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last—and best—hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much larger and more terrifying than anything she could imagine.

Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel to the rez to unravel clues from ancient legends, trade favors with tricksters, and battle dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology.

As Maggie discovers the truth behind the disappearances, she will have to confront her past—if she wants to survive.

Welcome to the Sixth World.

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black

Jude is a human living amongst the Fair Folk and she’s able to play their games even better than they are. I only wish I could be as cunning as she is.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Defy the Stars (Constellation, #1) by Claudia Gray

Noemi Vidal is just so cool. She’s a fighter and isn’t afraid to break the rules in order to do the right thing.

he’s a soldier — Noemi Vidal is willing to risk anything to protect her planet, Genesis, including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel.

He’s a machine — Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel’s advanced programming has begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he’s an abomination.

Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they’re not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they’re forced to question everything they’d been taught was true.

Renegades (Renegades, #1) by Marissa Meyer

Technically Nova is the bad guy, but she’s still so loyal to the only family that she has even if that puts her at odds with the rest of the world. I can admire her standing by them, while also standing up to them when she knows what they’re doing is wrong.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies — humans with extraordinary abilities — who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone… except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice — and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

Honor Among Thieves (The Honors, #1) by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre

I love how tough Zara is and how she’s willing to to do what’s right, even when putting her own life at risk. Also, I’m just really jealous she gets to fly a sentient ship.

Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that’s made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead of moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t much better than a prison cell.

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan—a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.

Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1) by L.M. Montgomery

Anne is the real O.G. of inspirational females. No list would be worth even reading if she wasn’t on it.

As soon as Anne Shirley arrives at the snug white farmhouse called Green Gables, she is sure she wants to stay forever . . . but will the Cuthberts send her back to to the orphanage? Anne knows she’s not what they expected—a skinny girl with fiery red hair and a temper to match. If only she can convince them to let her stay, she’ll try very hard not to keep rushing headlong into scrapes and blurting out the first thing that comes to her mind. Anne is not like anyone else, the Cuthberts agree; she is special—a girl with an enormous imagination. This orphan girl dreams of the day when she can call herself Anne of Green Gables.

The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #1) by Erika Johansen

Kelsea is ruthless when it comes to fighting for her crown and protecting her kingdom. She is so strong willed and independent when it comes the choices she makes.

On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown.

Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.

But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend . . . if she can survive.

Who are some of your favorite female characters? Do you agree with my choices?

Valentine’s Day Reading Recommendations

It’s that time of the year when love is in the air (supposedly) and the greeting card companies, florists, and candy corporations are all excited about the money they’re making off of us. And if you were looking for some books to add to all of the love stuff floating around right now, I decided to help you out with some recommendations. Don’t worry, I’m gonna help you out with a bunch of different genres so you don’t have to worry about getting stuck with only contemporary (which we all know isn’t my favorite…). Enjoy!

Contemporary

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

A Million Junes by Emily Henry

For as long as Jack “June” O’Donnell has been alive, her parents have had only one rule: stay away from the Angert family. But when June collides—quite literally—with Saul Angert, sparks fly, and everything June has known is thrown into chaos.

Who exactly is this gruff, sarcastic, but seemingly harmless boy who has returned to their hometown of Five Fingers, Michigan, after three mysterious years away? And why has June—an O’Donnell to her core—never questioned her late father’s deep hatred of the Angert family? After all, the O’Donnells and the Angerts may have mythic legacies, but for all the tall tales they weave, both founding families are tight-lipped about what caused the century-old rift between them.

As Saul and June’s connection grows deeper, they find that the magic, ghosts, and coywolves of Five Fingers seem to be conspiring to reveal the truth about the harrowing curse that has plagued their bloodlines for generations. Now June must question everything she knows about her family and the father she adored, and she must decide whether it’s finally time for her—and all the O’Donnells before her—to let go.

Me Before You (Me Before You, #1) by Jojo Moyes

Louisa Clark is an ordinary young woman living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A love story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Science Fiction

Defy the Stars (Constellation, #1) by Claudia Gray

She’s a soldier – Noemi Vidal is willing to risk anything to protect her planet, Genesis, including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel.

He’s a machine – Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel’s advanced programming has begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he’s an abomination.

Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they’re not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they’re forced to question everything they’d been taught was true.

Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1) by Beth Revis

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship —tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1) by Marissa Meyer

A forbidden romance.

A deadly plague.

Earth’s fate hinges on one girl . . .

CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth’s future.

This is not the fairytale you remember. But it’s one you won’t forget.

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

BRIEFING NOTE: Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Fantasy

The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1) by Samantha Shannon

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people’s minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine and also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

Caraval (Caraval, #1) by Stephanie Garber

Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away.

Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1) by Morgan Rhodes

In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed… and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It’s the eve of war…. Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword….

The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles, #1) by Mary E. Pearson

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

Historical Fiction

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo secretly dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.

Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort accidentally shot himself while cleaning his revolver. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.

The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. There are too many secrets. And they all seem to be buried in plain sight. Then she meets Eddie—a young, brash, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. Only now it might be too late to stop.

The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and the truth is the dirtiest part of all.

Stars Over Clear Lake by Loretta Ellsworth

For the first time in decades, Lorraine Kindred has returned to the ballroom where she was swept away by the big bands during the 1940s – and by a star-crossed romance. As she takes in the magnificent energy and brassy sounds of her youth, the past comes to life, along with the fateful decision all those years ago that forced her to choose between personal conviction and social expectations, between the two men who had captured her heart. It had been a time of great music and love, but also of war and sacrifice, and now, trying to make peace with her memories, Lorraine must find the courage to face buried secrets. In the process, she will rediscover herself, her passion, and her capacity for resilience.

Set during the 1940s and the present and inspired by a real-life ballroom, Stars Over Clear Lake is a moving story of forbidden love, lost love, everlasting love – and self love.

The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen, #1) by Alison Goodman

London, April 1812.

On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall’s presentation to the queen, one of her family’s housemaids disappears-and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

Roses by Leila Meacham

Spanning the 20th century, the story of Roses takes place in a small East Texas town against the backdrop of the powerful timber and cotton industries, industries controlled by the scions of the town’s founding families. Cotton tycoon Mary Toliver and timber magnate Percy Warwick should have married but unwisely did not, and now must deal with the deceit, secrets, and tragedies of their choice and the loss of what might have been–not just for themselves but for their children, and children’s children. With expert, unabashed, big-canvas storytelling, Roses covers a hundred years, three generations of Texans and the explosive combination of passion for work and longing for love.

Do you like to books with romance around Valentine’s Day? Have you read any of the books on my list? What books would you recommend for Valentine’s Day?

My Top 5 Favorite Reads from this Winter

I realized that I don’t ever really talk about which of my recent reads really pushed themselves to the top of pile. And recently, I’ve read some really awesome books that I think deserve to be highlighted for all of you lovely people! It was actually a lot harder than I originally thought it was going to be to narrow it down to only 5 choices. However, I was able to do it! Yay, me!

Defy the Stars (Constellation, #1) Claudia Gray

Let me count the ways that I am obsessed with anything that Claudia Gray writes… Seriously, it’s a lot. If androids who only can speak literally make you giggle outrageously, then you’ll really enjoy this book. The banter between the two main protagonists will leave a huge smile on your face. Bonus points for epic space adventure!

The Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen, #2) by Alison Goodman

I just want to know why more people haven’t picked up this series yet. Seriously, who doesn’t love a Regency setting mixed with the paranormal?! The amount of details and research that Goodman put into this story is just so amazing. Also, kickass women!!

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

This book was sooo worth all of the hype that it was getting when it was first released. The political complexities and world-building was just phenomenal. This seriously solidified itself as one of my all-time favorites. I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW!!!

Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown

I don’t even need to explain this one. Pierce Brown is just an amazing author and with this newest addition to the Red Rising series, the story has become even more complex than ever before. The fact that we are getting the next book so soon just makes me insanely happy. I think this should be the new trend in publishing! No pressure…

Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms, #2) by Morgan Rhodes

After the mediocrity of Falling Kingdoms, I went into this next book with my expectations really tempered. But holy shit, this book just blew me away!!! The story has now really expanded and I was finally able to connect with more of the characters. Also, the action finally ramped up with this one and that cliffhanger has got me all kinds of excited for the next book!

What are some of your favorite books that you read this past winter? Did you have a really good reading season? Did you enjoy more books than you originally thought you would? Were than any surprise favorites? Disappointments?

10 Books To Help You Escape This Winter

Thanks to Mr. Groundhog, we are supposedly going to have six more weeks of winter. Usually about this time of year, the winter depression starts to kick in because we are past all of the joyfulness of the holidays and are finally looking forward to spring and summer coming up around the corner. With that being said, here are some recommendations for you to dive into and escape the bitter cold that’s whipping outside your window!

Defy the Stars (Constellation, #1) by Claudia Gray

Claudia Gray is the queen of YA science fiction and she definitely doesn’t disappoint in her latest series. This high powered space adventure is full of witty banter, nonstop action, and the world’s most adorable android. You’ll forget all about the winter doldrums once you dive into this thrill ride!

The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1) by Samantha Shannon

If space isn’t your cup of tea, then take a walk into a dystopian future London where clairvoyants are outlawed and forced to form criminal gangs in order to survive. If you’re already intrigued by that premise, just add supernatural beings as the ones in true control of the world and you have yourself a really unique story. Also, SIZZLING SEXUAL TENSION.

The Cutting Season by Attica Locke

This own voices mystery thriller will have on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Set on an old plantation in southern Louisiana, the caretaker finds herself pulled into the history of Belle Vie and her family’s connection to the very fields that they have worked since before the Civil War. This book will keep you guessing until the very end.

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy, #1) by Deborah Harkness

I wish I could describe to y’all just how much I love this series. If you’re into science, the supernatural, and have a thing for brooding medieval vampires, then this is one story that you’re really missing out on. Also, it’s currently in production for a television series in the UK.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

A fictional satire based on a Harry Potter type series? Oh yes! It also comes complete with the cutest freaking m/m romance that I’ve ever read. Seriously, Simon and Baz are just the sweetest little muffins! This book will both make you laugh and cry, and you’ll love it for it. It’s also a fantasy standalone, which we could use more of!

Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns, #1) by Kendare Blake

I will admit that this one takes a bit before it really takes off but once it does..WOAH. It’s dark and twisty in all the best ways. Also, the sequel was one of my favorite reads of 2017 so it only gets better! I cannot wait to see where the story goes to in the next book.

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

If you haven’t already read this book yet, then I’m not really sure what you’re waiting for. IT IS AWESOME! If way it’s written isn’t really something that you’re into, I’ve heard the audiobook versions are just amazing. And with the finale due to release next month, it’s the perfect time to dive in.

The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen, #1) by Alison Goodman

I’m sure y’all are tired of hearing me gushing over this series by now, but sorry, I refuse to stop! This series is so engrossing and Goodman does the most perfect job of recreating Regency England. Also, the romance is the kind of slow burner that we all love. Trust me, this one’s a winner.

Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1) by Susan Dennard

This book got so much mixed reviews when it first came out, that I put off picking it up because I was worried that I wouldn’t enjoy it. However, this book turned out to be so much more fun than I thought! If you are someone who wants to see more female friendships in YA, then this book is for you. It’s all about powerful women!

The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles, #1) by Mary E. Pearson

I didn’t really have the highest hopes for this book when I first picked it up and then I fell into a month long slump right in the middle of it. However, this series turned out to be one of my all-time favorites. The world is so richly described, that you are immediately transported into it. Also, the romance doesn’t hurt either!

What are some books that you’d recommend to help escape the winter doldrums? Have you read any of the ones on my list? If so, what did you think of them?

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

2017 is finally behind us. Can you believe that we’re already a week into 2018?! Seriously, time is just flying by us and I’m not really sure how I feel about it. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I might have just teared up a bit thinking about how quickly the time is gone. I mean, this blog is now 2 years old!!! EEEEEEEEE!!!! Looks like it’s time to change things up a bit… like maybe a new blog design?! 😉

Books Read

The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh – 4/5 stars
Defy the Stars (Constellation, #1) by Claudia Gray – 5/5 stars, REVIEW
Daughter of the Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King, #1) by Tricia Levenseller – 4/5 stars
Goliath (Leviathan, #3) by Scott Westerfeld – audiobook, 4/5 stars
The Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen, #2) by Alison Goodman – 5/5 stars, REVIEW
This is Our Story by Ashley Elston – audiobook, 5/5 stars
Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1) by Morgan Rhodes – 3/5 stars, REVIEW
Zodiac (Zodiac, #1) by Romina Russell – 4/5 stars, REVIEW

Total Books Read: 8

Overall in 2017: 89

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

A book from a nonhuman perspective – Defy the Stars
A book by an author from a country you’ve never visited – The Dark Days Pact

Beat The Backlist

Zodiac (Zodiac, #1)
Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)
Goliath (Leviathan, #3)

Goodreads Challenge

Total: 89/100
Previous Total: 81/100

Blog Posts

Book Reviews

WWW Wednesday

Hype or Like Friday

Discussions/Misc.

How did your reading month go in December? Were you able to read all of the books that you wanted to in 2017? What was your favorite read of the month? Least favorite? What books are you wanting to read this month?

Hype or Like Friday – Coming to a Close and Shining Stars

This meme and Goodreads group were created by myself, Jill @ Rant and Rave Books, and Britt @ Geronimo Reads. To join our group and find out more information about what it’s all about, please go to our Goodreads page HERE.

The November BOTM is Zodiac (Zodiac, #1) by Romina Russell.

RULES:

Answer the weekly discussion topic.
Optional: Discuss your chosen hyped book of the week.
Optional: Talk about your progress on the BOTM.

TOPIC OF THE WEEK: I’m combining last week’s topic and this week’s because I missed it.. Oops!

Coming to a Close… What book(s) do you hope to read before the end of the year?

Shining Stars… What have been your favorite reads of 2017?

Coming to a Close

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang
The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh
The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1) by S.A. Chakraborty

These are all books that I’ve received from Book of the Month Club this past year. I’ve heard some amazing things about each one of them and am super excited to hopefully get to them before then end of the year. I’ve been trying to actually read some of the books I’ve received from that subscription service more, as I had really just been putting them off. I think 4 in a month seems like a good step in that direction, haha!

Shining Stars

Caraval (Caraval, #1) by Stephanie Garber
Defy the Stars (Constellation, #1) by Claudia Gray
Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1) by Victoria Schwab
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2) by Marissa Meyer
A Million Junes by Emily Henry
The Song Rising (The Bone Season, #3) by Samantha Shannon
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss
The Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen, #2) by Alison Goodman

Basically you all should just go read these books/series because they’re amazing. Seriously. Stop reading this post and go pick one up. RIGHT NOW.

What are some books that you hope to finish by the end of the year? What have been some of your favorite reads of 2017 so far? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your Hype or Like Friday post in the comments below!

Book Review: Defy the Stars (Constellation, #1)

At this point, I’m not even surprised that I loved Claudia Gray’s, Defy the Stars (Constellation, #1). Gray and science fiction go together just like peanut butter and jelly. No lie!

She’s a soldier.

Noemi Vidal is seventeen years old and sworn to protect her planet, Genesis. She’s willing to risk anything—including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel.

He’s a machine.

Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel has advanced programming that’s begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he’s an abomination.

Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they’re not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they’re forced to question everything they’d been taught was true.

This book is just another example of how accessible Gray’s science fiction writing is. She is able to paint a complete picture of her worlds without bogging down the actual story as she dives into the hard science within those futuristic societies. I find this completely amazing, as she isn’t afraid to actually tackle any scientific explanations that are needed for the plot. She truly is a master at science fiction, there’s no doubt!

Noemi is a complete badass. She’s a soldier who will do anything to save the people she loves and the planet that she calls home. I loved how sassy Noemi was. She’s full of courage and isn’t afraid to do what’s right. It was also really nice to see how she developed throughout the book, learning to acknowledge that there really is no right or wrong side of the war. It was also interesting to see how her relationship grows with Abel as they both learn to work together. Abel is my favorite though. His responses to everyone else are so exact and direct that you think he’s almost joking but he really isn’t. The exchanges between him and Noemi are just so hilarious! They play off of each other so well.

I will say that this is a pretty long book. The pacing did take a few dips here and there, as there was a whole lot of ground covered for a series opener. However, I didn’t feel that it really detracted from the overall story, as these small detours do actually move the plot forward. I think that the only reason that it took me more than a couple of days to finish this book was because I was in a bit of mini-slump. So if you’re a little scared off by the page count, don’t worry – it’s worth it, trust me!

Overall, this was such a fun book. It was exciting and the two protagonists have such great chemistry that I probably could’ve read a story where they just sit in an empty room for 400 pages. Gray once again has written a winner that’s left me begging for more. There’s a reason she has become an auto-buy author for me and this book is a perfect example of that. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an exciting new science fiction series to help ease the pain of The Illuminae Files trilogy coming to an end.

Final Verdict: 5/5 Stars

Have you read Defy the Stars? If so, what did you think of it? Did you like the way the book ended? Did you like Abel and Noemi’s interactions as much as I did?

WWW Wednesday – December 6th, 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?

Goliath (Leviathan, #3) by Scott Westerfeld – audiobook
The Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen, #2) by Alison Goodman

I swear, I am just as annoyed seeing Goliath still on my list as you are. I haven’t made any progress on this audiobook at all over the past few weeks. Hopefully that’ll change soon! As for The Dark Days Pact… Yeah, I’m still obsessed with this series. It’s incredibly detailed about life in Regency England, while still completely engaging you with the suspense and action. More people need to read this and join my obsession!!!

What did you recently finish reading?

Defy the Stars (Constellation, #1) by Claudia Gray – 5/5 stars, review to come
The Girl at Midnight (The Girl at Midnight, #1) by Melissa Grey – 3/5 stars, review to come

I think The Girl at Midnight was just mediocre. I really enjoyed the characters but I kind of got a bunch of vibes from a few different books. I think it was lacking just a bit on the originality side. However, I do plan on continuing with the story to see if it becomes more of its own thing as the story goes on.

Defy the Stars is just simply awesome. Claudia Gray can do no wrong, seriously! I really don’t know if I can wait for the second book to come out in the spring or I might die. AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

What do you think you’ll read next?

Daughter of the Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King, #1) by Tricia Levenseller
Zodiac (Zodiac, #1) by Romina Russell – Hype or Like Friday BOTM

Can I just say that I’m super excited to pick up both of these books, because I am. Like really excited. #nochill

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What do you have next on your TBR? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!