Jade City – Wonderfilled Reads

2019 End of Year Survey

2019 was a solid reading year for myself, if not as great as I was hoping it would be. However, I did get to read some amazing books and find new favorite authors so I can’t complain too much. I can’t wait to look back on everything that I’ve read over the past year!

If you wish to participate in the survey, please link back to the original creator – Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner.

2019 Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 64
Number of Re-Reads: 2
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy

Best in Book

Best Book You Read In 2019?

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

Best series you started in 2019? Best sequel of 2019? Best series finale of 2019?

Favorite new author you discovered in 2019?

Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Book You Read In 2019 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2019?

Most memorable character of 2019?

Jude is a total badass and no one can say otherwise.

Most beautifully written book read in 2019?

Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2019?

Book you can’t believe you waited until 2019 to finally read?

Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2019?

“By you, I am forever undone.” – The Queen of Nothing

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2019?

Book That Shocked You The Most

OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Jude and Cardan… I think it’s pretty easy to see how I feel about this book.

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Morrigan and Hawthorne crack me up with their friendship. She’s cynical and he is Mr. Get-Into-All-of-the-Trouble.

Favorite Book You Read in 2019 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Best Book You Read In 2019 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.

Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2019?

I will always go for the moody and brooding guys, especially ones with a bit of darkness in them like Nathaniel.

Best 2019 debut you read?

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2019?

Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Most Unique Book You Read In 2019?

Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Your Blogging/Bookish Life

New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2019?

I have done a terrible job keeping up with the bookish community this past year. Maybe that’s why I was affected by so many reading slumps – I wasn’t keeping myself hyped up.

Favorite post you wrote in 2019?

If You Liked That…Read This: Historical Fiction Edition

Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2019?

Ummm, I did not take one. Oops!

Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, etc.)?

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it to BookCon this past year but I was able to participate in the blog tour for Songs from the Deep!

Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2019?

Probably when I finally reach over 1000 followers on my blog. I don’t really promote it a whole lot so it’s been nice to see it grow so much this year.

Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

My reading life took a bit of a hit this year from going into so many random reading slumps, which has really affected my will to actually post regularly. It’s something I’m really hoping to not have an issue with this coming year.

Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

The 5 Most Disappointing Books of 2019

Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Top 5 Audiobook Recommendations

Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I don’t think I really have one this year.

Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

Hahahahahaha… Nope, didn’t finish either of one. Epic 2019 fail.

Looking Ahead

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2019 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2020?

Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2020 (non-debut)?

2020 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2020?

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2020?

Keep away from the dreaded reading slumps and try to consistently blog post.

How did you reading year go in 2019? What was a book that surprised you the most? Did you read a hidden gem of a novel? Did any books disappoint you? Please leave a link to your reading survey 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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

5 Books/Series That Need Adaptations

I first posted about this same discussion about two years ago, but I thought it was about time to revisit this topic. I am constantly reading books that I feel like would adapt really well to the small or big screen.

If you want to check out my previous post, you can see it HERE.

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

I think this book would make for a great movie adaptation. It’s got a little mystery, some romance, friendships, and just a lot of heart. I could see Mindy Kaling directing or even just writing the screenplay for this one.

Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry

I really believe this book would be a great movie adaptation on Netflix, along with the subscription service’s other recent YA movies. It’s a fun coming-of-age story focusing on family dynamics, as well an interesting look into what it means to fit in.

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

This slow burner with multiple storylines and mix of fantasy and martial arts would make for a really good dark tv show. I think it would be different from any other show currently out there. I could see one of the big channels such as HBO, Starz, Amazon, or Netflix picking this one up to adapt. The slow burner with multiple storylines and mix of fantasy and martial arts would be so interesting brought to life.

Red Rising (Red Rising, #1) by Pierce Brown

Yes, I have this so many freaking times. Yes, I still believe this series needs to be adapted for tv. Yes, Pierce Brown is already screenwriting the series and has a showrunner in mind. No, he has still not announced who has picked up the rights.

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

Y’all, this series would make for such a creepy and engaging tv show. It’s dark and mysterious but being set against the extravagance of the Roaring 20’s, it would make for some gorgeous sets and costumes. I can see the cinematography being up for awards if done correctly. I think this could be a runaway hit if someone takes the chance on it.

What are some books/series that you think would make good tv or movie adaptations? Do you agree with my choices? Are there any current adaptations that you don’t like or would like to change?

My Top Fave Reads of the First Half of 2019

Six months of reading in 2019?! ALREADY?! Yes, it is crazy and I cannot believe it either. Why is this year just going by so freaking fast? I would say I want it to slow down somewhat, but then it would take longer for fall to arrive and I just can’t have that. I need cooler weather and legging season to arrive already. But I digress… It’s time to talk about some of my favorite reads of 2019 (so far).

Skyward (Skyward, #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Believe it or not, this is my first Sanderson novel… And boy, does it not disappoint! I really enjoyed Spensa as a main character, with her quirky and strong personality. I loved how action packed this story was and that ending left me dying to find out what is going to happen next.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

You’re probably tired of hearing people rave about this story, but trust me when I say that it is truly worth the hype. I also recommend listening to the audiobook version, as I think it brings the story to life and the physical book might lose some of that magic.

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

This was such a lovely historical fiction novel set in Malaysia. I’m not usually one for magical realism stories but I think it really worked well here, as it was blended with Chinese folklore. This is another book that I recommend the audio version of as well.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Books that alive?! Sassy sorcerers?! Extremely polite and chivalrous demons?! Yes, you can find all of that an more in this awesome novel. Rogerson has solidified herself to be a new auto-buy author for me. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

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

I love retellings but this one really found itself a special place in my heart. All of the characters were complex and interesting, and I can always appreciate when the love-to-hate trope is done really well. And oh boy, that ending… WOW.

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

This was a book that I never knew I needed – an Asian inspired story about mafia-like families and kungfu. I really enjoyed the in-depth look of family relationships and what loyalty really means. This story was brutal and yet it kept leaving me wanting more.

What were some of your favorites reads of 2019 so far? Have you read any of the books on list? If so, what did you think of them?

2019 Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag

Another half year has gone by super fast. I think it really is true what they say, “The years go fast, but the days go slow.” I think that’s especially true as you get older. I mean I will turn 30 in 18 months and that doesn’t even compute with me sometimes. However, that also means that we’ve had 6 months of reading time so far in 2019 and that is awesome. It also means that I’m THIS much closer to my favorite time of year – fall. Cold weather is calling me and I cannot wait!

Best Book You’ve Read So Far In 2019

I couldn’t pick just one book because all four of these books just rocked my freaking world this year for different reasons. I cannot recommend them enough to people.

Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far In 2019

I’m honestly just trash for this series. The first one was so unique but maybe suffered from a bit of slow pacing, but holy moly this sequel was insanely amazing. There was an outlaw style space port, cage-style fighting, etc. I don’t even know how Caine and Aguirre are going to be able to top this sequel, but I have really high hopes!

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To

Basically I’m kicking my ass over having not read these books because I am obsessed with Jeff Zentner and Emily Henry’s novels. But I will say that I own Kingsbane but I’ve been putting it aside until I do a reread of Furyborn. It’s happening soon though, for sure.

Most Anticipated Release For The Second Half Of The Year

Okay, just give me all of the books at this point. I promise I won’t complain.

Biggest Disappointment

I wish I understood what the hype was with this book but it did not work at all for me. The main character was so whiny and naïve, making it really hard for me to care about any of her thoughts. I get that maybe that’s a reason because she’s been so isolated but still, it just didn’t work for me.

Biggest Surprise

I know there was a lot of hype going around this book when it first came out, especially considering it was Reese Witherspoon’s book club pick. But even with that, I wasn’t sure it was going to work for me as I’m super picky when it comes to contemporary novels. However, I freaking loved it so much! I listened to the audiobook and it was amazing. I’ll definitely be picking up whatever else this author writes.

Favorite New Author (Debut/New To You)

I am so impressed by the world-building Fonda Lee created in Jade City. It was so impressive and interesting. This was my first read by her but I know I’m already obsessed. I can’t wait to continue with this series and also explore some of her other novels.

Newest Fictional Crush

Nathaniel Thorn is one sassy sexy sorcerer. I was living for his witty one-liners and the back and forth banter between him and Elizabeth.

Newest Favorite Character

Spensa is so feisty and strong-willed. I love that she doesn’t take no for an answer but continues to fight for what she wants and what she believes in. She’s just a little firecracker. I am slowly dying inside waiting for the sequel to come out because I cannot wait to see what she’s going to do next.

Book That Made You Cry

Yeah, I’ll admit that I shed a few tears at work while listening to this audiobook. They were happy tears though!

Book That Made You Happy

This book was just such a joy. It was engaging and fun, with a really great family story as well. It wasn’t what I was expecting at first but turned out to be just as great.

Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought So Far This Year

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

Favorite Book To Movie Adaptation You’ve Seen This Year

I don’t know if it really counts since I haven’t read the books but I really enjoyed Dumplin’ and Mortal Engines.

Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year

What is your favorite book read of 2019 so far? Biggest disappointment? Have you discovered a new favorite author? What book are you most looking forward to reading in the second half of the year?

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

Yes another month has come and gone extremely fast. I had a bit of a busy time during May, while also going through a bit of a blogging slump. I just have been reading a lot slower lately, as well as lacking in great blog post ideas (not to mention my constant lack of motivation to write any reviews). However, I really hope June will be a good month to try and revive that creative flow and motivation. I plan to watch a lot of booktube and do some blog hopping, as well as some personal weekend read-a-thons. Let’s get to reading this summer, y’all!

Books Read

Lifel1k3 (Lifelike, #1) by Jay Kristoff – physical book, 4/5 stars
The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye – audiobook, 5/5 stars
Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1) by Robin LaFevers – audiobook, 3/5 stars
Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1) by Fonda Lee – physical book, 5/5 stars
Finale (Caraval, #3) by Stephanie Garber – physical book, 4/5 stars

Total Books Read: 5

Overall in 2019: 39

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

A book about a family – Jade City

Goodreads Challenge

Total: 39/75

Previous Total: 34/75

Blog Posts

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Mirk and Midnight Hour

WWW Wednesday

Discussions/Misc.

Did you get a lot of reading done in May? 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 June?

WWW Wednesday – May 8th, 2019

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?

Finale (Caraval, #3) by Stephanie Garber – physical book
Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1) by Robin LaFevers – audiobook
Freeks by Amanda Hocking – physical book

I’m not very far into any of these books actually, as I only started Grave Mercy and Finale yesterday. But I am soooo excited to really get into these stories. I’ve been dying for Finale ever since the end of Legendary and I almost can’t believe I finally have it! I’ve also heard amazing things about the His Dark Assassin series. It seems like I’m really late to the party but hey, at least I finally showed up!

What did you recently finish reading?

The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye – audiobook
Lifel1k3 (Lifelike, #1) by Jay Kristoff – physical book
Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1) by Fonda Lee – physical book

Honestly, I really enjoyed all three of these books. The Paragon Hotel was totally different than what I was expecting, much more adult themed and not at all YA like I originally thought it was. It was still very good and well-written, just know that before picking it up! I also loved Jade City. It was very detailed and took me a long time before I was able to fully grasp the world-building. And we all know how awesome Jay Kristoff is at writing, so I don’t think I really need to explain how much I enjoyed Lifel1k3.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Long hair beauty with pink flowers

Middlemarch by George Eliot – physical book
Winterspell by Claire Legrand – physical book
Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno – 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!