Tag: King’s Cage

WWW Wednesday – July 12th, 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?

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This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1) by Victoria Schwab

I won’t lie and say that I wasn’t confused for about the first 50 pages of this book, because I totally was. Confused but insanely intrigued. This book starts off with a bang and I cannot wait to see where it leads to next. Thanks to everyone who voted this book as my next read the other day on the Twitter poll!

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

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Mischling by Affinity Konar

This is my current audiobook and it’s interesting so far. I’m having trouble focusing on actually listening to it lately so I’m going  a little slower than when I first started. Hopefully work calms down a bit so I can really get back into this story. I just hope I don’t end up crying at work!

Pearl is in charge of: the sad, the good, the past.

Stasha must care for: the funny, the future, the bad.

It’s 1944 when the twin sisters arrive at Auschwitz with their mother and grandfather. In their benighted new world, Pearl and Stasha Zagorski take refuge in their identical natures, comforting themselves with the private language and shared games of their childhood.

As part of the experimental population of twins known as Mengele’s Zoo, the girls experience privileges and horrors unknown to others, and they find themselves changed, stripped of the personalities they once shared, their identities altered by the burdens of guilt and pain.

That winter, at a concert orchestrated by Mengele, Pearl disappears. Stasha grieves for her twin, but clings to the possibility that Pearl remains alive. When the camp is liberated by the Red Army, she and her companion Feliks–a boy bent on vengeance for his own lost twin–travel through Poland’s devastation. Undeterred by injury, starvation, or the chaos around them, motivated by equal parts danger and hope, they encounter hostile villagers, Jewish resistance fighters, and fellow refugees, their quest enabled by the notion that Mengele may be captured and brought to justice within the ruins of the Warsaw Zoo. As the young survivors discover what has become of the world, they must try to imagine a future within it.

A superbly crafted story, told in a voice as exquisite as it is boundlessly original, Mischling defies every expectation, traversing one of the darkest moments in human history to show us the way toward ethereal beauty, moral reckoning, and soaring hope.

What did you recently finish reading?

  • King’s Cage (Red Queen, #3) by Victoria Aveyard – 4/5 stars, Review
  • Leviathan (Leviathan, #1) by Scott Westerfeld – 4/5 stars, audiobook
  • Starfall (Starflight, #2) by Melissa Landers – 4/5 stars, full review to come
  • The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead – 2/5 stars, audiobook

I think I did a good job catching up on my reading after slacking during the holiday weekend. I also really enjoyed these books for the most part. Unfortunately, I think the hype was just wayyyyy too much for me with The Underground Railroad. I had heard such great things about it, but I just did not enjoy any of the characters and the writing was a bit too much at times. I might try another of Whitehead’s books in the future though to see if I enjoy it more.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Bone Gap by Laura Ruby – audiobook
  • Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity, #2) by Victoria Schwab

My wait list is finally up on Bone Gap from Overdrive so that’ll be up next on my audiobook schedule. I’ve heard amazing things about this story and I’m really excited to dive into it. And of course, continuing with my Smashing Series July, I’ll finish up the Monsters of Verity duology. I can’t decide what series to start after that so I may be doing another Twitter poll. Make my decisions for me, social media peeps!

What have you read this week? What’s next on your TBR? Have you read any of the books on my list? If you read The Underground Railroad, what did you think of it?

Book Review: King’s Cage (Red Queen, #3)

After finishing Glass Sword, I was a little hesitant to pick up King’s Cage (Red Queen, #3) by Victoria Aveyard. The main protagonist had turned into whiny Katniss 2.0 and I was just not feeling it. You can read my full review of it HERE. But since I’d already bought King’s Cage and I loathe not completing series unless it’s for a really good reason, I went ahead and did it. So glad that I did!

In this breathless third installment to Victoria Aveyard’s bestselling Red Queen series, allegiances are tested on every side. And when the Lightning Girl’s spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother’s web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare’s heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

The Good

  • Pacing – Okay, even while Mare is imprisoned in the palace suffering through Maven’s psychological and physical torture, the pacing was still fairly steady. I never knew what was going to happen next and there were so many twists that I was never bored. It only picked up even more about halfway through the book. Once I hate page 200, I couldn’t put the book down and had to know what was going to happen next.
  • Maven, the villain we all need in our lives – Seriously, who doesn’t love to hate the antagonist? You know it’s a great villain when you can’t wait for them to make another appearance (think the Darkling), and Maven is a perfect example of this. I lived for the moments when he was center stage. I want my villains to have depth, charisma, and a strong backstory – which Maven has in spades. Like seriously, I will never have enough of him. Is this the part where I admit that I might be strangely in love with him like I was with Caraval‘s, Legend? Ummmm, probably. Yes, I’m one twisted individual.
  • Mare finally deciding to stop being all poor-pitiful-me 24/7 – If you read my Glass Sword review, you’ll know that pretty much despised Mare in it. Like, I was actually internally rooting for her to die and someone else to take up the mantle of protagonist. No lie. Luckily, Aveyard did something that apparently never crossed Veronica Roth’s mind with Katniss, and actually had Mare GROW. Mare’s time imprisoned let her do some soul-searching and realized that she was being a bitch and pushing people away for no real reason whatsoever. Funny how that was actually an option. If only more authors would do that, right?
  • A real battle, FINALLY! – I love me some good action scenes and we finally got one in this book. Praise be to the book gods!
  • Evangeline – But, but, but Larkin, she’s so awful! Yes, she is but don’t act like her evil bitchiness doesn’t give you life because I live for it. Her snarky rapport with Mare is delicious and I love that we are now getting some of the story from her POV. I’m also secretly hoping she decapitates her mother. Please tell me that I’m not the only one?!

I thought I knew what heartbreak was. I thought that was what Maven did to me. When he stood and left me kneeling. When he told me everything I ever thought him to be was a lie. But then, I believed I loved him.I k.png

The Bad

  • Cameron – I still can’t stand her. Something about her character just annoys me to no end, even if she isn’t as awful to everyone as she was in Glass Sword. Maybe it’s that she has tunnel vision and only sees things in black and white which is so irritating to me. That’s just not realistic and I always have issues with characters who are like that. It’s always an us vs. them mentality and it makes me want to bash my head into the wall. No no, you’re always right about everything, Cameron. You’re just so much smarter than everyone else. Blahhhhhhhh… And now I have to read her POV, too? TORTURE.
  • That ending….. – Listen, that ending is amazing because OMG THAT PLOT TWIST, but I won’t lie and say that I’m not going to take it personal because my heart was just broken into a billion pieces. You’re so evil, Aveyard.

If my last review convinced you to not even bother picking up Glass Sword, then I’m hear to tell you that you should, if only to fight through that muck to get to the awesomeness that is King’s Cage.

Final Verdict: 4/5 stars

Have you read King’s Cage? What did you think of it? Do you love Maven as much as I do? What are your thoughts on Cameron? Am I being too harsh with her?

WWW Wednesday – July 5th, 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?

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King’s Cage (Red Queen, #3) by Victoria Aveyard

I’m a little upset that I didn’t get to read hardly any over the holiday weekend, due to having a bunch of family in town. However, I do plan to do a lot of reading this week. I’m only about 75 pages into this one so far and it’s been fairly interesting up to this point. We’ll see how the rest goes.

In this breathless third installment to Victoria Aveyard’s bestselling Red Queen series, allegiances are tested on every side. And when the Lightning Girl’s spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother’s web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare’s heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

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Leviathan (Leviathan, #1) by Scott Westerfeld

I’m still currently listening my way through this audiobook. I’m more than halfway through it now though, so I’m pretty excited about that. It’s getting very interesting and I cannot wait to see where it goes next.

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

What did you recently finish reading?

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The Crown’s Game (The Crown’s Game, #1) by Evelyn Skye

I really enjoyed this book. It was a light and easy fantasy read, if a bit lacking on real tension and conflict. I do plan on picking up the sequel at some point soon. I’m really interested in seeing if the author expands on a real antagonist. You can read my full review HERE.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Starfall (Starflight, #2) by Melissa Landers
  • The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1) by Samantha Shannon

I’ll be finishing up the Starflight duology next and then moving on to The Bone Season. I’ve got high hopes of finishing up my Smashing Series this month. I’m running a little behind already due to the holiday weekend but I plan to catch up quickly. Fingers crossed!

What are you currently reading? Did you finish any good books this week? Have you read any of the books on my list?

WWW Wednesday – June 28th, 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?

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The Crown’s Game (The Crown’s Game, #1) by Evelyn Skye

I only have about 40 pages left in this book and plan to finish it tonight. I’m really enjoying this one so far. I love when authors mix fantasy with historical fiction and this one is no exception. I can’t wait to see how this one ends!

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip-smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love…or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear—the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

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Leviathan (Leviathan, #1) by Scott Westerfeld

This is my current audiobook that I grabbed from Overdrive last night. I’ve listened to 4 audiobooks since I started last week. Can you believe it?! I listen to them all day while I’m at work and I really enjoy it. So far this book has been really interesting, mixing steampunk with WWI. I kind of went into this one blind and so far, so good!

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

What did you recently finish reading?

  • Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) by Victoria Aveyard
  • The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
  • Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
  • Pure (Pure, #1) by Julianna Baggott

I had a really good reading week. Granted 3 of these were audiobooks but still, it counts! I enjoyed these for the most part but was a little let down by Mr. Penumbra’s, as it was very anti-climatic and went overboard with the technical jargon. I’m glad that I listened to the audiobook version of Pure since I really don’t have the time to reread it before finishing the rest of the trilogy. It was just as intense as I remembered.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • King’s Cage (Red Queen, #3) by Victoria Aveyard
  • The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1) by Samantha Shannon
  • The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #1) by Erika Johansen

I will definitely be reading the King’s Cage next, and then it’s a toss up between The Bone Season (a reread) and The Queen of the Tearling. Both are part of my Smashing Series that I’ve decided to extend through July as well. We shall see which one will come first!

What are you currently reading? Did you finish any good books this past week? What do you think you’ll read next? Have you read any of the books on my list? What did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – June 21st, 2017

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

The Three W’s are:

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

What are you currently reading?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

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

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

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

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

What did you recently finish reading?

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

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

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

What do you think you’ll read next?

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

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

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

WWW Wednesday – June 14th, 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?

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A Million Worlds with You (Firebird, #3) by Claudia Gray

Yes, I’m still currently reading this one. I had to put it aside for a few days last week so I could finish up the book for my book club meeting. But I will say that I’m absolutely loving it! This last one has really upped the stakes and I am SO obsessed.

A million universes. A million dangers. One destiny.

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

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

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

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

What did you recently finish reading?

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Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

This was the novel that I had to read for my book club. In all honesty, this just was not a very good novel. There’s a reason that this story wasn’t published when Lee first wrote it and it should have just stayed that way. If you’re looking for some literary fiction and have heard good things about Harper Lee’s books, just stick with To Kill a Mockingbird. Trust me on this.

From Harper Lee comes a landmark new novel set two decades after her beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, To Kill a Mockingbird. Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch–“Scout”–returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise’s homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in a painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past–a journey that can be guided only by one’s conscience. Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humor and effortless precision–a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill a Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to an American classic.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) by Victoria Aveyard
  • King’s Cage (Red Queen, #3) by Victoria Aveyard

Still continuing on with my Smashing Series for this month by catching up on the Red Queen series. I’ve heard fairly mixed things about the rest of the books in the series, but I still plan to finish it. One of my biggest issues is quitting series in the middle. Unless the first book is just awful, I will always complete a series. Call me a glutton for punishment that way. I’m sick, I know!

What are you currently reading? Did you finish any good books this week? Have you read any of the books on my list? What did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – June 7th, 2016

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?

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 A Million Worlds with You (Firebird, #3) by Claudia Gray

I can’t even tell you how much I’m addicted to this trilogy. I’m seriously kicking myself for putting off finishing it for so long. IT’S SO DAMN GOOD. Also, those covers are freaking stunning.

I’ll also be starting Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee tonight for my book club. I’m not real thrilled about it… Blahhhhhhhhh

What did you recently finish reading?

  • Aftermath: Life Debt (Star Wars: Aftermath, #2) by Chuck Wendig
  • Aftermath: Empire’s End (Star Wars: Aftermath, #3) by Chuck Wendig
  • Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird, #2) by Claudia Gray

I really enjoyed the Aftermath trilogy. It was exciting, full of action and political intrigue. I can see where people might have an issue with his writing style in the first book, but I think it gets a lot better in the following two books. If you’re a Star Wars fan, or just a science fiction fan in general, I recommend these for some fun reads! But if you like your science fiction with a bit of contemporary and a whole lot of swoony romance, then pick up the Firebird trilogy. Seriously, Paul is a total book boyfriend.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) by Victoria Aveyard
  • King’s Cage (Red Queen, #3) by Victoria Aveyard

I’ll be carrying on with my Series Smashing June by catching up on the Red Queen series. I didn’t want to like the first book in the series when I read it back in January, but I did find it very entertaining. I’ve heard mixed things about the following books though. It’ll be really disappointing if they aren’t very good.

What are you currently reading? Have you finished any books this week? Did you enjoy them? Have you read any of the books of my list? What did you think of them? What are some series that you need to catch up on? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday in the comments below!

Smashing Series Round 2: June Summer Smash TBR!

So I’ve been looking over my stacks of TBR in preparation to start packing to move, when I realized that once again, I have a butt load of series to read. Now when I say series to read, I mean any series that I need to finish or catch up on. Such is the curse of being a bookworm! With that being said, I thought June would a good month to try and do a little summer cleaning on the old TBR. I originally came up with Smashing Series back in September and it was a success. I got caught up on and finished so many series! You can go read my announcement and wrap-up posts, HERE and HERE.

Now anyone can join if you’re interested! This is a very casual and fun way to help clear out some series from your TBR. It’s like a reading challenge but more of a personal one! If you’re like me, then you know how crazy those TBRs can get and it’s always nice to check some of those books off that list!

My June TBR

Aftermath: Life Debt (Star Wars: Aftermath, #2) & Aftermath: Empire’s End (Star Wars: Aftermath, #3) by Chuck Wendig

I will finally get to finish this trilogy after reading the first book. I’ve heard that the final book is fairly good so I can’t wait to see how it all ends!

Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) & King’s Cage (Red Queen, #3) by Victoria Aveyard

I thought the first book was fun, if lacking on originality. However, the ending was really my favorite part as I love a good plot twist. Now I haven’t heard great things about the next two books in the series but hopefully they aren’t too bad.

The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1), The Mime Order (The Bone Season, #2), The Song Rising (The Bone Season, #3) by Samantha Shannon

I read the first book back when it was first released but I plan to reread it before diving into the rest of this series. I’ll be honest and admit that I don’t remember anything that happened. Oops!I can’t wait to dive back into this series!

Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird Trilogy, #2) & A Million Worlds with You (Firebird Trilogy, #3) by Claudia Gray

I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy when we read it for the Hype or Like Friday December BOTM. I honestly cannot believe I waited this long to finally finish this series! I wish I had a good excuse for putting it off, but I don’t. Also, can we all just gush over these insanely gorgeous covers? LOVE LOVE LOVE.

To say that my TBR for June is setting the bar extremely high, would be a bit of an understatement. But my reading has been really slow since I came back from my break and so I’m hoping this will finally kick it back into gear, especially since I’ll be revisiting series that I’ve already started. The first time I did was a resounding success and I flew through my TBR list, so I hope I can recreate that this time around!

What do you think of Smashing Series? Do you have tons of series that you’ve started but haven’t finished? What series do you need to finish? Have you read any of the ones on my TBR? Would you like to participate in this round of Smashing Series?