Tag: Furyborn

WWW Wednesday – February 5th, 2020

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?

  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – physical book
  • Dark Age (Red Rising, #5) by Pierce Brown – physical book
  • Suggested Reading by David Connis – audiobook

I did make some more progress in The Thorn Birds over the weekend. But man, that book was upsetting me so much that I decided to start on Dark Age to help break it up some. Except ever since then, I can’t put Dark Age down. This book has got hook line and sinker. Which I should have known would happen since this series is probably my all-time favorite, right up next to Harry Potter… Yes, you read that right. Seriously people, if you haven’t read it, DO IT.

I also started listening to Suggested Reading, which you can definitely tell is written by someone who loves books. It’s a really interesting story so far, though I do find the dialogue to be a little much. I think Connis is writing like he thinks high school students talk and not how they actually do. Though to be fair, that’s super normal in YA books and reminds me of another writer *cough* John Green *cough*.

What did you recently finish reading?

  • Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly – physical book, buddy read
  • Furyborn (Emipirium Trilogy, #1) by Claire Legrand – audiobook, reread

I really enjoyed both of these books. I had previously read the physical book of Furyborn and really enjoyed it. It was a much different experience listening to the audio version and not sure I really liked it that way. The narrator kind of annoyed me. However, I’m super excited I decided to revisit the story so I can finally pick up the sequel this month.

I loved Lilac Girls. It was a very different kind of WWII novel and I loved that it visited it from a different perspective than the usual.  It was definitely a heavy read in some places and every chapter ends in a cliffhanger so you’re on the edge of your seat the entire time. Definitely worth the read if you enjoy historical fiction novels!

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Kingsbane (Emipirium Trilogy, #2) by Claire Legrand – physical book
  • The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White – audiobook
  • Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? 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!

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

I’m actually proud of starting off the new reading year fairly strong. My main goal this year was to not let myself get bogged down by trying to cram as many books into it as possible. I want to actually focus on what I really want to read, even if it’s a long book (which were the majority of my reads this month). And if January was any indication, I think I’m doing a pretty good job so far. Isn’t it a nice feeling when you take the pressure off yourself?

Books Read

  • Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly – physical book, buddy read with Geronimo Reads
  • City of Lies (Poison War, #1) by Sam Hawke – physical book
  • Furyborn (Empirium Trilogy, #1) by Claire Legrand – audiobook, reread
  • The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams – physical book
  • Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown – audiobook, reread
  • The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern – physical book
  • The Lioness of Morocco by Julia Drosten – audiobook

Total Books Read: 8

Overall in 2020: 8

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

  • A book published the month of your birthday – The Wicked City
  • A book with “gold”, “silver”, or “bronze” in the title – Iron Gold
  • A book with a four-star rating on Goodreads – The Lioness of Morocco
  • A book with a main character in their 20’s – The Starless Sea

Goodreads Challenge

Total: 8

Previous Total: 0

Blog Posts

Book Reviews

WWW Wednesday

Discussions/Misc.

Did you get a lot of reading done in January? Were you able to read all of the books on your TBR? Did you read any new favorites? What book did you like the least? What do you plan on reading in February?

WWW Wednesday – January 29th, 2020

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?

  • Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly – physical book, buddy read
  • Furyborn (Emipirium Trilogy, #1) by Claire Legrand – audiobook, reread
  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – physical book

 I’m still slowly making my way through Furyborn but I hope to finish it by the end of the week. I didn’t realize just how long this audiobook version is, so its been a bit more of a challenge than I originally thought. I really love the story (as was the first case when I first read it) but I’m not entirely sold on the audio narrator.

Lilac Girls is a heavy read but I’m loving it so far. I really like how we’re getting three totally different viewpoints to follow and I’m excited to see how they all come together. I hope to finish it this weekend but we shall see. My buddy is quite a ways behind me on the reading, haha.

I’m about a fourth of the way through The Thorn Birds. It’s a really interesting setting as it’s in the Australian Outback. However, the story is quite different from what I was originally expecting. I’ve heard soooo many people rave about this story and the miniseries from the 80’s, but maybe I’m just not far enough into it yet to really see what the fuss is about.

What did you recently finish reading?

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  • City of Lies (Poison War, #1) by Sam Hawke – physical book

This was a really interesting and fun read. I enjoyed the murder mystery plot that really propelled the story forward, as you were kept guessing the entire time. I was really engrossed in the overall story but I felt the worldbuilding was sorely lacking. I didn’t get enough description or background history of the world and that had me fairly confused in the beginning of the book. Maybe the sequel will explore the world more?

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1) by Katherine Arden – physical book
  • Kingsbane (Empirium Trilogy, #2) by Claire Legrand – physical book
  • Suggested Reading by David Connis – audiobook

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? 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!

WWW Wednesday – January 22nd, 2020

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?

  • City of Lies (Poison War, #1) by Sam Hawke – physical book
  • Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly – physical book, buddy read
  • Furyborn (Emipirium Trilogy, #1) by Claire Legrand – audiobook, reread

I’ve FINALLY started on my reread (or listen) to Furyborn, so I can refresh my memory on what happened in the first book before moving on to the sequel. I do remember absolutely loving it though! I’m not the biggest fan of the audio narrator so far, but I don’t think it will affect my experience too much.

I also am picking back up with City of Lies after putting it aside last week for The Starless Sea. I think I’m finally able to really buckle down and focus on this fantasy world. I’ve also started on Lilac Girls that I’m buddy reading with Britt @ Geronimo Reads. I’m fully expecting to need tissues beside me at some point. I’m a little over 100 pages into it and am already completely drawn into the lives of these three badass women.

What did you recently finish reading?

  • Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown – audiobook
  • The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern – physical book

I absolutely freaking adored The Starless Sea! It was so much more than what I was originally expecting, as I didn’t particularly like The Night Circus. However, this book was so whimsical and basically an ode to the magic of stories, that I connected with it immediately. My full review will be posted tomorrow!

I also finally completely my reread (or listen) of Iron Gold and I’m so glad I chose the audiobook route for my reread of the entire series. The narrators are all amazing and I felt a completely different connection to the story this time around. It was truly a fantastic experience and highly recommend anyone interested to check it out. I can’t wait to dive into Dark Age next.

Side Note: I did attempt to listen to the audiobook of The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad, but unfortunately I knew I wouldn’t connect with the writing style within the first 20 minutes. So I’ve decided to DNF that novel for now.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1) by Katherine Arden – physical book
  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – physical book
  • Suggested Reading by David Connis – audiobook

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? 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!

Pokemon (Gotta Read ‘Em All!) Book Tag

I grew up during the Pokemon craze of the late 90’s and early 00’s. It was a very exciting time to be a kid, trying to collect all of the trading cards and beating every single video game… Pokemon Snap, anyone?! And with the recent release of Detective Pikachu and popularity of Pokemon Go (and yes, I do play on a regular basis), the nostalgia has been amped up. So when I saw this tag on Peruse Project’s channel, I knew I had to participate.

Please feel free to do this tag if you’re interested!

Type: Normal

Favorite Contemporary

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Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry

This book was such a delight to read. Y’all know that I’m not much of a contemporary reader, but this story was one that I immediately fell in love with. The characters were all unique and interesting. I also really enjoyed the family dynamics that were a main focus of the story. This is just a really fun and emotional read that I would recommend anyone to pick up.

Type: Fire

Hot Fire Romance

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

A witch and a vampire walk into a library… Sounds like the start of a joke, doesn’t it? But no, this is just the start of a steamy romance full of magic and mayhem. This is one of my favorites series and the television series is reallyyyy good too.

Type: Water

A Flowing, Easy To Read Book

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Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

Contemporary romances are probably most people’s go-to easy read. I personally have been enjoying Welch’s romances, as they feature cute boys and international destinations such as my favorite place in the world, Ireland.

Type: Electric

A Book That Kept You Buzzing Long After Finishing

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

I read this book immediately upon its release and I could not get it off my mind for the rest of the year. It truly had the biggest impact on my reading life last year. I loved everything about it.

Type: Grass

Your Favorite First Book In A Series

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The Diviners (The Diviners, #1) by Libba Bray

I’m not one for horror or scary stories, however this book changed my mind. I was immediately engrossed in the Roaring Twenties NYC setting and the characters living there. I really enjoy the multiple POVs and how each have their own story to tell.

Type: Ice

Cold As Ice Character(s)

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Victra au Julii from Golden Son (Red Rising, #2) by Pierce Brown

Victra is most definitely my main bitch. She is strong-willed, independent, and armed with the sharpest tongue. I love how cold and vicious she can be on the outside, while also having a pretty warm heart.

Type: Fighting

An Action-Packed Book

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Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1) by Susan Dennard

This book starts off in the middle of a chase scene and doesn’t let off from there. I fell in love with the energy in this novel and I can say that it carries throughout the entire series so far. I am super excited for the next installment!

Type: Poison

A Toxic But Still Enjoyable Book

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A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

I’m not sure this book is really problematic in any way, but due to it being a remake of Beauty and the Beast, and how some find that story to be nothing but an example of Stockholm Syndrom.. I guess it works. Either way, it’s soooo good. It really might be my favorite retelling.

Type: Ground

Down-To-Earth Character(s)

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Nikki from Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

I really love Nikki as a main character. She was so relatable trying to be independent and live her own life, while trying to also keep her family and community happy. I also loved the relationships she formed with all of the widows. It almost made me jealous of her… Haha!

Type: Flying

Favorite High Fantasy Book

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Furyborn (Empirium, #1) by Claire Legrand

I loved this book soooo much when I first read it. I have the sequel as well, but I think a reread is needed first before diving into it. It’s definitely coming up on soon again on my TBR.

Type: Psychic

A Predictable Plot

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Freeks by Amanda Hocking

Yeahhhhhh, the “twist” in this book wasn’t even a twist. I knew that was going to be the case from the very beginning. Yawn.

Type: Bug

A Book That Annoys You

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The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

This book got so much buzz when it was first released, but it really didn’t do anything for me. The concept and story was really interested but I hated the whiny main character so much that it ruined everything else for me.

Type: Rock

A Hard To Describe Book

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Navigating the Stars (Sentinels of the Galaxy, #1) by Maria V. Snyder

This book is a futuristic science fiction that focus on science groups locating and trying to unlock the secrets of some artifacts that have been found on multiple planets. That’s about all that I can really explain without getting into a whole bunch of stuff. It’s one of those books with just a lot going on.

Type: Ghost

Everyone’s Dead, A Book Where No One Is Safe

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Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1) by Fonda Lee

This family is basically cursed with bad luck. When you mix gang fighting with magic powers, bad things are bound to happen and happen quite a lot. This book will definitely keep you on your toes.

Type: Dragon

A Book With Fantastic Creatures

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The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2) by Holly Black

This series is centered around Fae, so of course magical creatures run amok all through the pages. And I love it so much!

Type: Dark

Dark And Twisted Story

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Give the Dark My Love (Give the Dark My Love, #1) by Beth Revis

A book all about necromancy and how one woman uses her dark side to keep loved ones around in hopes to save her country. As you can imagine, things get really dark pretty quick.

Type: Steel

A Book With Pirates

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Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King, #2) by Tricia Levenseller

This book is literally about the daughter of a pirate king and a siren. There are battles and sword fighting, and of course a bit of romance. What more can you ask for?

Type: Fairy

A Book With Fae/Fairies

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Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

This one is going to come out of left field a bit, but hear me out… Kal Gilwraeth is actually an alien version of Fae. That is coming straight from the mouths of Amie and Jay, too! So yes, let’s give it up for some space elves! They deserve some love and recognition as well.

What are some answers you would use for this tag? Have you read any of the books on my list? Do you agree with my choices?

My Top 10 Reads of 2018

Here we are again, at yet another year’s ending. But I have to say that I actually had a pretty good year in 2018 and I’m feeling even better about 2019. With that being said, my reading was kind of all over the place and involved me taking a nosedive into a few long reading slumps a couple of times over the past few months. But luckily, I’m finishing the year strong and I still was able to read quite a few awesome books. And I’m sure you’re wondering what my favorite ones were, right? Well you’re in luck!

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

Seriously, if I could sing my praises for this book from the top of every mountain on Earth, I would. It’s full of such a rich world and some amazing characters, that it’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. It has definitely worked its way into my all-time favorites list and I cannot for the sequel!

 

 

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

I hope no one here is surprised to see that I loved this book. It’s a continuation of one of my favorite series ever and just keeps getting better and better with each book. I love how Brown keeps giving me conflicting feelings on all of my favorite characters and the decisions they make.

 

 

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

This entire trilogy completely stunned me. It was wonderfully written and I loved how it was such a feminist story. I loved it so much that I made my dad read it and he loved it too! Seriously, if you haven’t picked this one up before, you definitely should.

 

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Black Moon (Zodiac, #3) by Romina Russell

I really feel like this is a super underrated series. You never hear anyone talking about it but y’all, it is SO GOOD. The world-building is incredible and the plot has such an interesting storyline and mystery that it keeps you hooked from the very first page.

 

 

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Furyborn (The Emporium Trilogy, #1) by Claire Legrand

This book got a lot of mixed reviews when it first came out, but I LOVED it so much. I liked how it went back and forth between the two characters and you got to read both of their stories parallel to one another. I’m super excited for the next book to come out and see what happens next!

 

 

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A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes, #3) by Sabaa Tahir

Okay, seriously though… I don’t think I even need to explain how amazing this series is. And gosh, the story just gets more and more intense with each new release.

 

 

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Defy the Worlds (Constellation, #2) by Claudia Gray

I swear that Claudia Gray can do no wrong. She continues to just blow away the science fiction genre and produce perfection after perfection. This book was left me dyyyyying for the final to be released. These two characters are some of my favorites and I need for them to have a happy ending!

 

 

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Smoke and Iron (The Great Library, #4) by Rachel Caine

I am seriously obsessed with this series and this book in particular I found to be extremely intense. There were so many moving parts and I loved each of the character’s individual POV chapters.

 

 

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Renegades (Renegades, #1) by Marissa Meyer

I wasn’t really expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. While I enjoyed Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles series, I felt that it was a little on the immature side. However, I loved that she embraces the dark a little more in this book.

 

 

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Sadie by Courtney Summers

I listened to the audiobook of this haunting story and I cannot recommend it enough, as you really get to experience the whole podcast setting that way. This story definitely lives up to all of the hype that you’ve probably heard about it. Just pick this one up, you won’t regret it.

 

 

What are some of your favorite reads of 2018? Have you read of the ones on my list? If so, what did you think of them?

First Impressions of Books That I Got Wrong

Let’s be honest – we all prejudge books before we ever read them. Whether we are judging them based on their covers (don’t lie, we know you do it…), the hype surrounding them, the author’s previous work, etc., we are constantly forming opinions as soon as we learn about a book. But hey, we’re all human and this is just normal behavior!

I will openly admit that I am AWFUL about judging books before I ever pick them up. I immediately rate a book, usually judging it by the synopsis or the surrounding hype. I’m not one to usually jump on the immediate bandwagons for most new releases, unless it’s for a series that I’m already invested in. Also, I’ve recently gotten really critical of synopses lately. I used to not be this way but I’ve noticed over the past year or so that if a book sounds a lot like something I’ve previously read, I pretty much just write it off as #notinterested. Unless it’s some sort of retelling, because I’m totally trash for those! And then there are the books that you think you will love and then they end up crashing all of your hopes against a rock. How rude!

However, I have to say that there have been a few books that bucked the trend for me and I wanted to highlight a few of those in this post. I mean, we’re all bound to get it wrong sometimes, right?!

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Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

I went into this book so excited because the synopsis sounded like such a whimsical middle grade novel full of adventure… But what I got was actually a really boring story with a lackluster ending.

 

 

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Furyborn (Empirium, #1) by Claire Legrand

I got an ARC of this book in a FairyLoot box last fall and just was not sold on that synopsis. Then when everyone started giving it mixed reviews, I was really put off. However, I finally picked it up around its release date and WOW!!! This book was just sooo good and now I’m desperately awaiting for the sequel!

 

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Scarlet (Scarlet, #1) by A.C. Gaughen

What I thought I was getting – a badass feminist version of Robin Hood, where the girl is the one taking care of business. What I actually got – the sappiest freaking love story I’ve ever read, that only got worse with each book.

 

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Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1) by Susan Dennard

When this book first came out, it was getting some very mixed reviews. The majority seemed to not really like it, saying that the world-building was confusing. So I ended up putting off reading it for over a year and I immediately regretted it. I loved this book so much!!!

 

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The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

This book seemed to be really groundbreaking for a lot of people. However, it just felt really jumbled to me. It was kind of all over the place and tried a little too hard to be edgy and different in regards to the writing style, which really detracted from the actual plot. I wasn’t the biggest fan.

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Zodiac (Zodiac, #1) by Romina Russell

So no one ever talks about this series, EVER. So I was first attracted to the cover and synopsis (yes, I like astrology for fun!), but figured it would be just mediocre at best. Y’all, I was totally wrong. The world-building, plot, and characters are totally complex. I can’t recommend it enough!

 

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

I love a good antihero story just as much as the next person, but that wasn’t what I got with this book. Xifeng has zero redeeming qualities and her reasoning for everything she does lacks any depth. I kept rooting for someone to just kill her.

 

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

Another series that no one ever mentions and so even though I was intrigued by the synopsis, I put it off. But oh my gosh, this story is everything I want and more!!! Regency England, paranormal creatures, and a secret society… Perfection.

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The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy

I had seen so many people raving about this mysterious story… All I got was a total yawn fest. It was extremely slow and lacked any sort of conflict to grab my attention. My expectations were definitely shattered with this one.

 

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Heartless by Marissa Meyer

This book got a lot of hate when it was first released, which put me off from picking it up for a long time. However, when I finally read it, I loved it! It was definitely a unique twist on the origins of the Queen of Hearts. I won’t lie, my mouth was constantly watering from all of the yummy food descriptions too. Ha!

 

What are some books that ended up shattering your first impressions? Do you share the same opinion as me on any of the books on my list? Do you usually prejudge books before you read them based on covers, synopsis, or the opinions of others?

 

 

2018 Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag

I think I say this every year, but it’s true… HOW THE HECK IS JUNE ALMOST OVER?! I mean, I could’ve sworn that January was yesterday and it was cold outside. Now, I start to melt like a popsicle as soon as I step outside. (Damn you, Texas weather!)

As always, I wasn’t tagged to do this tag. I just did it last year and decide to keep the tradition going!

Best Book You’ve Read This Year?

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

I wish I could just describe to you how much I loved this book. I binged it in less than 24 hours during a personal readathon back in January, and it has been on my mind ever since. This book has everything that I love in a story and the fact that it is based off Middle Eastern mythology just makes it even better. If you haven’t tried this book, please please do!

Best Sequel You’ve Read in 2018?

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Legendary (Caraval, #2) by Stephanie Garber

For me, an amazing sequel elevates the original story to a completely different level, and I think Legendary did just that. The plot immediately pulled me in and brought a whole new element to the overall story. I also enjoyed Tella so much more as a main character than I did Scarlett. I just know Finale is going to blow us all away when it’s released!

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To?

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Defy the Worlds (Constellation, #2) by Claudia Gray

I absolutely loved the first book, Defy the Stars, and cannot believe I have put off picking up the sequel for so long. Luckily, that’ll be rectified very soon as I plan to read it next. I cannot wait!!! I’ve missed Abel so darn much.

Most Anticipated Release For The Second Half Of The Year?

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Dance of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, #1) by Mary E. Pearson

I am soooo excited about this newest series set prior to the events in Pearson’s The Remnant Chronicles. I ended up falling in love with that trilogy after a rough start with the first book. I’ve got really high hopes for this book, y’all!

Also, honorable mention goes to Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7) by Sarah J. Maas… because, obviously.

Biggest Disappointment?

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Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman

I really don’t get the hype surrounding this book. I listened to the audiobook for a couple of hours before finally DNFing it. There’s barely any dialogue and the character is written in such an unbelievable way that I couldn’t enjoy the story. I think pretentious is the best word to describe this book. I think I’ll just stick to watching the film instead.

Biggest Surprise?

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

This series has some very mixed reviews so I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. I figured it be boring or something.. I WAS WRONG. This entire trilogy completely took me by surprise and solidified itself as one of my all-time favorite series. If you were turned off this series because of the reviews, I recommend still giving it a try. I recommended it to my dad and he really enjoyed it! I’ve also heard rumors that Emma Watson is working to turn this into a movie and I am so hype for it.

Favorite New To You Or Debut Author?

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Claire Legrand

I read Furyborn (Empirium, #1) back in May and absolutely loved it. I haven’t read any of her other books but it makes me really want to pick them up. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for the sequel!

Newest Fictional Crush?

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Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms, #3) by Morgan Rhodes

Let’s talk about my new boo, Magnus. I’ll be honest and admit that he kind of creeped me out by his unnatural obsession with his stepsister in the first couple of books. However, he really grew on me in Gathering Darkness. He finally seems to be doing his own thing and that sexual tension he has going with Cleo is giving me life right now. Hate to love, FTW!

Newest Favorite Character?

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

I think we can all agree that Prince Cardan is such a gem of a character. I love how awful he is and yet, you can’t help but like him for some twisted reason. Extremely complicated characters like him will always be my faves. I cannot wait to see how he responds in The Wicked King! Is it January yet?

Book That Made You Cry?

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The Fate of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #3) by Erika Johansen

Damn, that ending.. It was a killer. But at the same time, after I finished bawling my eyes out, I realized that it was also more bittersweet and a little hopeful. Johansen did such a great job with this finale.

Book That Made You Happy?

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Jackaby (Jackaby, #1) by William Ritter

I went into this book with zero expectations and maybe that helped how much I ended up enjoying it. It was just fun, quick read that made me laugh. I liked how it was a twist on Sherlock Holmes but also was able to really be its own thing, especially by incorporating the supernatural. I really want to get to the sequels at some point later this year.

Favorite Book-To-Film Adaptation?

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Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I reallyyy enjoyed this movie. It was just a fun ride from start to finish. I liked some of the changes they made to help transmit the book to the big screen, though they did leave out some parts that I think would’ve been nice additions to the overall story.

Favorite Post You Have Done This Year?

Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought This Year?

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Onyx & Ivory by Mindee Arnett

Let’s all be honest, that is one wicked gorgeous and unique cover. I’m a little bit obsessed with it. It makes me want to pick up the book even faster!

What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of the Year?

  • Reign of the Fallen (Reign of the Fallen, #1) by Sarah Glenn Marsh
  • Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass, #6) by Sarah J. Maas
  • Renegades (Renegades, #1) by Marissa Meyer

Honestly, there’s way too many books that I need to read before the year is over but that’s nothing new. I do plan to get to each of these soon though, as a couple have their sequels being released this fall.

What book has been your favorite of 2018 so far? Least favorite? What book(s) do you want to read before the end of the year? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them?

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

So I didn’t get through as many books in May as I was originally planning on. I blame some of that on going to New York for BookCon the last 5 days of the month. TOTALLY worth it though! I had so much fun at BookCon and really enjoyed chatting with other book lovers, especially while waiting in long lines for ARC drops. Haha! Shout out to Tom from Random House and our discussion about Pierce Brown and how crazy conventions are! Also, hugs to those of you that I met and saw or unfortunately never ran into… There’s always next year! I plan on doing a BookCon haul post later this week (probably tomorrow), so be on the lookout for that!

Books Read

  • Scarlet (Scarlet, #1) by A.C. Gaughen – audiobook, 3/5 stars
  • Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4) by Marissa Meyer – physical book, 5/5 stars, REVIEW
  • Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys – audiobook, 4/5 stars
  • War Storm (Red Queen, #4) by Victoria Aveyard – physical book, 4/5 stars
  • Furyborn (Empirium, #1) by Claire Legrand – physical book, 5/5 stars, REVIEW
  • Legendary (Caraval, #2) by Stephanie Garber – physical book, 5/5 stars

Total Books Read: 6

Overall in 2018: 35

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

  • A book with a weather element in the title – War Storm (Red Queen, #4)
  • A book that involves a bookstore or library – Out of the Easy

Goodreads Challenge

Total: 35/75

Previous Total: 29/75

Blog Posts

Book Reviews

WWW Wednesday

Discussions/Misc.

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

ARC Review: Furyborn (Empirium, #1)

I will be the first to admit that when I received a physical ARC of Furyborn (Empirium, #1) by Claire Legrand, in one of my FairyLoot boxes back in the fall, I thought it was going to be a really bad novel that was just trying to drum up interest by extreme marketing tactics… Y’all, I was so wrong! This book was everything and more. Basically, I’m obsessed.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable–until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world–and of each other.

The Good

  • Strong Opening – It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that immediately pulled me straight into the story like this one did. It just hits the ground running and doesn’t stop until the very end. I loved how engaged I was in what was happening from the first page. Why can’t all books be as entertaining as that? No, but seriously, why are some so boring? These are the types of questions that leave me up at night.
  • Never A Dull Moment! – I pretty much already mentioned this, but I think it bears stating again how solid the pacing is in this book. I was never bored and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what was going to happen next.
  • Badass Females, Can I Get An Amen?! – Our two leading ladies are pretty awesome. They’re strong and independent and I love that they both really walk the line morally. I personally prefer characters that aren’t completely good or evil, but are realistically complex like most normal people are. I think Legrand did a great job recreating that in Rielle and Eliana. They are both are selfish and still vulnerable. It was really interesting watching how they reacted in different situations. We can go ahead and classify them both as Slytherins! 😉
  • Family Love – Finally we get to see some awesome family love in a fantasy novel! Normally families tend to be nonexistent in fantasy, but in this one they actually are front and center. I absolutely loved the relationship between Eliana and her brother. It was so adorable and gave me all of the warm fuzzies!

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The Bad

  • Less Rielle, More Eliana – I’ll admit that I was less interested in Rielle’s chapters. Maybe because we know how her story ends from the very first chapter, that it lost a little bit of its allure for me. I was much more interested in Eliana’s storyline as you don’t know what’s going to happen next and it also had a little bit of mystery element as well. I like how the chapters alternated back and forth between the different time periods, but I think I’d like the next books to focus more on Eliana.
  • I HAVE TO WAIT A WHOLE YEAR TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!!

I obviously loved this book. I think it was an exciting opening for this new trilogy and I’m dying to see what will happen in the next book. I will say that I would personally classify this as New Adult, rather than a YA novel, as it contains sexual content (a la Maas style) and strong language. So if those are things that you don’t care for in books, then this may not be the right fit for you. But if you don’t mind that, then pick this book up because it’s awesome!!!

Final Verdict: 5/5 Stars

Have you read Furyborn yet? If so, what did you think of it? Did you enjoy Eliana or Rielle’s chapters more?