Tag: Libba Bray

WWW Wednesday – May 27th, 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?

Currently Reading

  • Vow of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, #2) by Mary E. Pearson – physical book
  • The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune – audiobook

I am zipping through Vow of Thieves and am LOVING it. This sequel is nonstop action and intrigue so far. Pearson is killing it with this one and I am super excited to see how it all ends. I also kind of like how the two main characters have been split up in this book. It’s brought a new look to the story, one that was really needed I think.

I haven’t fully started listening to House in the Cerulean Sea yet but will get to it later today. I’ve only heard amazing things about it so I’m ready!

What did you recently finish reading?

  • The King of Crows (The Diviners, #4) by Libba Bray – physical book
  • The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1) by S.A. Chakraborty – audiobook, reread
  • Aurora Burning (Aurora Cycle, #2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff – physical book

I enjoyed all of these books for the most part, though I do feel a little letdown with The King of Crows. It was a finale that didn’t quite live up to the rest of the series which is always a bummer. I felt like the buildup took a really long time and then the climax was over very quickly, and lacked some of creepiness of the previous books.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • A Heart So Fierce and Broken (Cursebreakers, #2) by Brigid Kemmerer – physical book
  • Jade War (The Green Bone Saga, #2) by Fonda Lee – physical book
  • Ruthless Gods (Something Dark and Holy, #2) by Emily A. Duncan

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 – May 20th, 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?

Currently Reading

  • The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1) by S.A. Chakraborty – audiobook, reread
  • Aurora Burning (Aurora Cycle, #2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff – physical book

My reread of City of Brass is going well. I’m not super keen on the narrator so I definitely prefer the physical book to the audio, though I do appreciate learning how to correctly pronounce all of the character names!

I’m enjoying Aurora Burning so far. It’s a little slower than I was hoping for and seems to lack some of the snappy personality that the first book had. But I’m only halfway through it so far so maybe things will start to really get going soon.

What did you recently finish reading?

  • The Oracle Year by Charles Soule – physical book
  • Now Entering Addamsville by Francesca Zappia – audiobook

The Oracle Year was a really fun read. I enjoyed all of the different perspectives, as they made it seem much more realistic in how a situation like this would go down. The ending was super crazy and not at all what I was expecting but it was still a fun ride.

I have to say that I did not really enjoy Now Entering Addamsville. It ended up being a lot stranger than what I was expecting and the story didn’t always make a whole lot of sense. I get what Zappia was trying to go for, but the execution was definitely lacking. And the ending just wasn’t any good at all. I’ve heard her other novels are better so I may give one of them a shot at some point.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The King of Crows (The Diviners, #4) by Libba Bray – physical book
  • Vow of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, #2) by Mary E. Pearson – physical book
  • A Heart So Fierce and Broken (Cursebreakers, #2) by Brigid Kemmerer – 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!

WWW Wednesday – March 4th, 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?

Currently Reading

  • Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners, #3) by Libba Bray – physical book
  • Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore – audiobook

I’m really enjoying Before the Devil Breaks You. I love how creepy this series can be and this book is no exception so far. I’m about halfway through this series and hope to get a lot of reading done by the end of the week.

I’m starting Oona Out of Order today and really excited for it. Everyone I know has really enjoyed it and you know I love a good time traveling novel. I mean, I literally just listened to What the Wind Knows, haha!

What did you recently finish reading?

  • What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon – audiobook
  • Valiant (Modern Faerie Tale, #2) by Holly Black – physical book
  • The Rejected Writers’ Book Club (Southlea Bay, #1) by Suzanne Kelman – audiobook

I enjoyed What the Wind Knows, but it didn’t quite reach a 5 star read for me. I think I was actually less invested in the love story part than I was of the actual political issues going on in Ireland. Ireland is my favorite place and I loved getting to learn a little more about the revolution that was going on during this time. It’s both fascinating and extremely tragic.

I also really loved Valiant. Holly Black just gets my twisted little soul so much. Apparently, this book is most people’s least favorite of the trilogy but I don’t quite agree. This was a very different type of story from Kaye and Roiben’s, but I enjoyed that change of view. It was really dark and the murder mystery was a nice addition to the plot. I just wish we would have gotten more of the faerie scenes, rather than so much of the runaways just laying around.

The Rejected Writers’ Book Club was a cute book but nothing special. I liked the characters more than the actual plot. I think I’ve just realized that chick-lit just isn’t my type of genre. I think probably because of the contemporary setting.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia – audiobook
  • Starsight (Skyward, #2) by Brandon Sanderson – physical book
  • Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove, #1) by Shelby Mahurin – 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!

WWW Wednesday – February 26th, 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?

Currently Reading

  • What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon – audiobook
  • Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente – physical book
  • Valiant (Modern Faerie Tale, #2) by Holly Black – physical book

I have been participating in #laidbackreadathon since Saturday and have been killing it with my reading. I just started listening to What the Wind Knows on Monday and should finish it today. It’s almost a 13 hour audiobook, too! It’s a really great story. I love learning more about the Irish Revolution.

I’ve read about 75 pages into Radiance and I’m not sure how I feel about it yet. Valente’s writing style can be a bit much and that’s really obvious in this novel. So I’ve set it aside for a little bit to see if I want to revisit it after Valiant. I’m only 50 pages into Valiant but I’m liking it so far. Black is definitely queen of the faerie stories and I am here for it!

What did you recently finish reading?

  • The Vine Witch (Vine Witch, #1) by Luanne G. Smith – audiobook
  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – physical book
  • Reign of the Fallen (Reign of the Fallen, #1) by Sarah Glenn Marsh – physical book, buddy read

I really enjoyed The Vine Witch and Reign of the Fallen. I was surprised by how engrossing those two books were. I sped through them really quickly. However, I wasn’t as impressed with The Thorn Birds as most people seem to be. None of the characters were really nice nor did I care much about them. They made stupid decisions constantly and I never could figure out how they would come to them. The story was interesting but the characters were not.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners, #3) by Libba Bray – physical book
  • The Devil’s Thief (The Last Magician, #2) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • Winter of the World (Century Trilogy, #2) by Ken Follett – 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!

WWW Wednesday – February 19th, 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?

Currently Reading

  • The Vine Witch (Vine Witch, #1) by Luanne G. Smith – audiobook
  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – physical book
  • Reign of the Fallen (Reign of the Fallen, #1) by Sarah Glenn Marsh – physical book

I haven’t read much of The Thorn Birds this past week but I plan to dive back into it today. I think it’ll be good to help break up the fantasy aspects of The Vine Witch and Reign of the Fallen. I just started listening to The Vine Witch and haven’t gotten too far into the story yet but it’s been very interesting so far. I like the idea that witches are the reason for that France has such great wine. I only started on Reign of the Fallen last night so it is still very early going with that read as well. However, I love that you’re immediately thrown into the action. The first couple of chapters have really piqued my interest and I can’t wait to get further into the story and this world of necromancy

What did you recently finish reading?

  • Kingsbane (Empirium, #2) by Claire Legrand – physical book
  • The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1) by Kiersten White – audiobook

I should have a full review of Kingsbane up by the end of the week so I won’t go into too much detail on that one. But I will say that I enjoyed it and that ending left me reeling. There were a few issues with the book overall that I had but I’ll dive more into those in my review.

As for The Guinevere Deception… Man, I have to say this was my first disappointing read (or listen to if you want to nitpick). It started off slow, then got a little interesting, and then finally got so boring that I just stopped caring. I’ll admit that I zoned out during the last two hours of listening and can’t remember how it ended. Suffice it to say that it was not the book for me, even though I reallyyyyyyy wanted it to be.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente – physical book
  • Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners, #3) by Libba Bray – physical book
  • What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon – 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 – February 12th, 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?

  • Kingsbane (Empirium, #2) by Claire Legrand – physical book
  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – physical book
  • The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1) by Kiersten White – audiobook

I’m only about 50 pages into Kingsbane so I don’t really have much of an opinion so far but I expect things to start happening very soon. I’m also over halfway through The Guinevere Deception. It’s an interesting story so far but I feel like something is missing. It needs a bit more action and more interaction between Guinevere and Arthur. And I’m still slowly making my way through The Thorn Birds. The story is picking up a bit more and I feel like Meggie has finally found a purpose with her life… how long that lasts though is the real question.

What did you recently finish reading?

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

Of course I absolutely loved Dark Age. This series keeps getting more and more complicated with all of the characters trying to survive. That ending has me super freaking exited to see what Pierce has planned for the next book.

Suggested Reading was a bit of a letdown for me. I didn’t particularly care for the main character, nor did I feel very satisfied with the overall plot. I had such high hopes for this one but it just didn’t live up to them.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente – physical book
  • Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners, #3) by Libba Bray – physical book
  • The Vine Witch (Vine Witch, #1) by Luanne G. Smith – 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!

My February TBR

February is going to be a month where I try and focus on a bunch of sequels/series that I need to catch up on. So I plan to try and get through a few of those this month, while sticking to standalones for the most part when it comes to my audiobooks. I really want to mix up the genres too so I don’t get too bogged down on any one for too long. Let’s see if that keeps me from falling into any sort of reading slump!

February TBR

  • Suggested Reading by David Connis – audiobook
  • Kingsbane (Empirium Trilogy, #2) by Claire Legrand – physical book
  • Valiant (Modern Faerie Tales, #2) by Holly Black – physical book
  • The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White – audiobook
  • Winter of the World (The Century Trilogy, #2) by Ken Follett – physical book
  • The Vine Witch (Vine Witch, #1) by Luanne G. Smith – audiobook
  • Dark Age (Red Rising, #5) by Pierce Brown – physical book
  • Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners, #3) by Libba Bray – physical book
  • Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente – physical book
  • What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon – audiobook
  • The Devil’s Thief (The Last Magician, #2) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • Reign of the Fallen (Reign of the Fallen, #1) by Sarah Glenn Marsh – physical book, buddy

What do you plan on reading in February? Do you have a lot of sequels or series that you haven’t caught up on yet? Have you read any of the books on my TBR? If so, what did you think of it?

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?

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

And just like that, 2018 is over and done with…. Damn. What an interesting year.

I didn’t quite hit my overall reading goal, as I was hit with a couple of fairly long reading slumps throughout the year that really kicked my ass. However, I still read some pretty amazing books and I think that’s all that really counts in the end. Right?

Books Read

  • Lair of Dreams (The Diviners, #2) by Libba Bray – physical book, 5/5 Stars
  • The Dark Days Deceit (Lady Helen, #3) by Alison Goodman – physical book, 4/5 Stars
  • Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians, #1) by Kevin Kwan – physical book, 3/5 Stars
  • Give the Dark My Love (Give the Dark My Love, #1) by Beth Revis – audiobook, 4/5 Stars
  • Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7) by Sarah J. Maas – physical book, 5/5 Stars

Total Books Read: 5

Overall in 2018: 66

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

  • A book made into a movie you’ve already seen – Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians, #1)
  • A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist – Lair of Dreams (The Diviners, #2)

Goodreads Challenge

Total: 66/75

Previous Total: 61/75

Blog Posts

Book Reviews

WWW Wednesday

Discussions/Misc.

Did you get a lot of reading done in November and December? 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 January?