Where Have I Been?

People may or may not have noticed, but I’ve been a little but absent for the past year or so. My blogging has quite literally gone down the drain. I haven’t had a lot of… More

Reading Wrap Up ||| December 2018:

So it’s almost April and thanks to my rather chaotic life, I haven’t had chance to sit down and blog in a very long time. But I’m back (for now) and I thought I should… More

Try a Chapter Challenge

My mental health as of late has been a bit up and down, meaning that I haven’t been reading that much. So I thought, to try and figure out what I fancied reading, I’d do… More

Different Types of Reading Slumps

Not too long ago, I talked about my recent reading slump and it got me thinking, there isn’t just one definite reading slump. There’s actually quite a few different types. So I thought i’d talk about those today.

The ‘Book Hangover’ Slump:

Lots of different things can cause this type of slump but it’s usually from finishing a really good book. You know the type, the one that has had you hooked for chapter after chapter, the one you couldn’t put down. And then it ends. Either with a cliff hanger for the next book or the series comes to a close.

After that, no book can mount up to it and you’re just wallowing in the sadness of what has happened to this book and these characters you’ve come to love.

This one doesn’t usually hit me and when it does it goes away after a few days. But for some people this can spur a month long (or longer) slump because all they can do is think about the perfection of what they’ve finished and no writer’s writing can live up to it.

The ‘I Just Don’t Feel Like Reading’ Slump: 

It’s gets all of us. Sometimes instead of reading we just want to watch telly or play a video game or something like that. Maybe we don’t have the concentration to read or maybe we just simply can’t be bothered.

This for me is one of the most annoying. But thankfully, once again, only typically lasts a day or two. But for those few days it’s hell.

The ‘Busy Bee’ Slump:

With this one, you’re so busy with other aspects of your life that you don’t even realise you haven’t been reading until say you go write to your wrap up for the month, or someone asks what you’re reading. And then you just have to stop and think, when was the last time I read a book.

This is one of the types of slumps that has had me at the moment. Life has just gotten in the way but with a bit of timetabling I’m going to be knocking in some time to read soon.

The ‘I Don’t Know What I Want to Read but There’s Nothing I’ve Got That’s Sparking My Interest So I’m Just Not Going To Read Anything’ Slump

A long winded title, I know but it sums up everything quite well. This and the last one definitely played a combo strike on me. Especially after finding out that ‘Darkdawn’ arguably my most anticipated release of the year has been pushed back to next year. Every book that I started has just made me go ‘well it’s not Darkdawn’ and nothing else has really been able to fill the void.

Eventually I know I’ll find something that will knock me back into reading, filling this emptiness by being the book that i’ve been looking for. But until then, let’s just keep trying different things.

The ‘I’m Excited to Read But Just Not Sure What I Want to Read’ Slump: 

This ones a little bit similar to the last. But for me this one there’s usually an exact style that i’m looking for. That I can’t usually pinpoint. But I’m happy to keep trying because I do want to read.

Not a bad slump to be in, because you are reading. It’s just a bit frustrating, really. All the while, your head is just constantly saying “I like it, but i’m not in the mood for it”. And there’s nothing worse than that.

The “I Need To Read This For School, But I Really Don’t Want To, So I’ll Read Something Else, But I Can’t Because I Feel Guilty About It’ Slump: 

I haven’t had this type of slump in years thanks to doing a non-academic course at uni. But when I was at College and School this would get me all the time. Thankfully I’d persist and just read whatever book it was for the subject, some of them even ended up being favourites, but it can just get annoying.

Oh I lie, I do still have to do this. I have do it for plays. But I just haven’t been doing that lately. Oh God, now I feel guilty. Prepare for spam of plays in my next wrap up!

And Finally The ‘Everyone Loves This Book So I Should Read it – Wait,Why Don’t I Love it? – What’s Wrong With Me!’ Slump:

Ah this beauty. It quite literally does what it says on the tin. There are so many books that people hype up and then I get around to them and they just aren’t that great. Either the plot isn’t for me or the writing is a bit wishy-washy or there’s just something missing. Whatever it is, it makes me really not like the book. But then the brain kicks in and says ‘well why don’t you like and everyone else does’. And then you doubt yourself and your brain just goes a bit crazy and you end up crying.

Well that’s what happens to me anyway. This is kind of happening to me at the moment with ‘Red Rising’ by Pierce Brown. Everyone raves about his writing and this series and it has a really good premise. But I just can’t get into to no matter what. I’ve put it down and I’ll try again soon but it just sucks, I want to know why everyone loves it.

And there we have it, seven different types of reading slumps. I’m sure there’s a lot more out there but these are just the ones that I could come up with at the moment.

Have you been bit by any of these? Or can you think of more? Let me know.

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!

Book Total of 2019 – 1

XXX

 

Current ARC TBR

I’m a Netgalley blogger, this means that I can request various A.R.Cs to be sent over the course of the year and if my statistics are good then they’ll send me an ecopy. Now I have been a bit request happy of late, meaning that I’ve currently got 26 unread e-arcs that I need to get to at some point.

So, in order to hold myself accountable, I thought I’d talk about the different arcs that I’ve got to chose from at the moment and ask for some help with picking my next read.

This Mortal Coil, by Emily Suvada

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.

That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.

When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.

Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself?

Publication Date – 27th November, 2017

The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black

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

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

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

Publication Date – 2nd January, 2018

The Hazel Wood, by Melissa Albert

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. Alice’s only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.

Publication Date – 8th February, 2018

The Girl in the Tower, by Katherine Arden

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

Publication Date – 25th January, 2018

Nothing But Sky, by Amy Trueblood 

Grace Lafferty only feels alive when she’s dangling 500 feet above ground. As a post-World War I wing walker, Grace is determined to get to the World Aviation Expo, proving her team’s worth against flashier competitors and earning a coveted Hollywood contract.

No one’s ever questioned Grace’s ambition until Henry Patton, a mechanic with plenty of scars from the battlefield, joins her barnstorming team. With each new death-defying trick, Henry pushes Grace to consider her reasons for being a daredevil. Annoyed with Henry’s constant interference, and her growing attraction to him, Grace continues to test the powers of the sky.

After one of her risky maneuvers saves a pilot’s life, a Hollywood studio offers Grace a chance to perform at the Expo. She jumps at the opportunity to secure her future. But when a stunt goes wrong, Grace must decide whether Henry, and her life, are worth risking for one final trick.

Publication Date – 27th March, 2019

The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo 

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.

So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

Publication Date – 3rd May, 2018

Whistle in the Dark, by Emma Healey 

Jen and Hugh Maddox have just survived every parent’s worst nightmare.

Relieved, but still terrified, they sit by the hospital bedside of their fifteen-year-old daughter, Lana, who was found bloodied, bruised, and disoriented after going missing for four days during a mother-daughter vacation in the country. As Lana lies mute in the bed, unwilling or unable to articulate what happened to her during that period, the national media speculates wildly and Jen and Hugh try to answer many questions.

Where was Lana? How did she get hurt? Was the teenage boy who befriended her involved? How did she survive outside for all those days? Even when she returns to the family home and her school routine, Lana only provides the same frustrating answer over and over: “I can’t remember.”

For years, Jen had tried to soothe the depressive demons plaguing her younger child, and had always dreaded the worst. Now she has hope—the family has gone through hell and come out the other side. But Jen cannot let go of her need to find the truth. Without telling Hugh or their pregnant older daughter Meg, Jen sets off to retrace Lana’s steps, a journey that will lead her to a deeper understanding of her youngest daughter, her family, and herself.

Publication Date – 3rd May, 2018

Fools and Mortals, by Bernard Cornwell

Fools and Mortals follows the young Richard Shakespeare, an actor struggling to make his way in a company dominated by his estranged older brother, William. As the growth of theatre blooms, their rivalry – and that of the playhouses, playwrights and actors vying for acclaim and glory – propels a high-stakes story of conflict and betrayal.

Publication Date – 19th October, 2017

The Ashes of London, by Andrew Taylor

London, September 1666. The Great Fire rages through the city, consuming everything in its path. Even the impregnable cathedral of St. Paul’s is engulfed in flames and reduced to ruins. Among the crowds watching its destruction is James Marwood, son of a disgraced printer, and reluctant government informer.

In the aftermath of the fire, a semi-mummified body is discovered in the ashes of St. Paul’s, in a tomb that should have been empty. The man’s body has been mutilated and his thumbs have been tied behind his back.

Under orders from the government, Marwood is tasked with hunting down the killer across the devastated city. But at a time of dangerous internal dissent and the threat of foreign invasion, Marwood finds his investigation leads him into treacherous waters – and across the path of a determined, beautiful and vengeful young woman.

Publication Date – 7th April, 2016

The Fire Court, by Andrew Taylor 

London, September 1666. The Great Fire rages through the city, consuming everything in its path. Even the impregnable cathedral of St. Paul’s is engulfed in flames and reduced to ruins. Among the crowds watching its destruction is James Marwood, son of a disgraced printer, and reluctant government informer.

In the aftermath of the fire, a semi-mummified body is discovered in the ashes of St. Paul’s, in a tomb that should have been empty. The man’s body has been mutilated and his thumbs have been tied behind his back.

Under orders from the government, Marwood is tasked with hunting down the killer across the devastated city. But at a time of dangerous internal dissent and the threat of foreign invasion, Marwood finds his investigation leads him into treacherous waters – and across the path of a determined, beautiful and vengeful young woman.

Publication Date – 5th April, 2018

Charmcaster, by Sebastien de Castell 

Magic is a con game.

Kellen is moments away from facing his first mage’s duel and the start of four trials that will make him a spellcaster. There’s just one problem: his magic is gone. As his sixteenth birthday approaches, Kellen falls back on his cunning in a bid to avoid total disgrace. But when a daring stranger arrives in town, she challenges Kellen to take a different path. Ferius Parfax is one of the mysterious Argosi – a traveller who lives by her wits and the three decks of cards she carries. She’s difficult and unpredictable, but she may be Kellen’s only hope…

Publication Date – 17th May, 2018

Soulbinder, by Sebastien de Castell 

Magic is a con game.

Kellen is moments away from facing his first mage’s duel and the start of four trials that will make him a spellcaster. There’s just one problem: his magic is gone. As his sixteenth birthday approaches, Kellen falls back on his cunning in a bid to avoid total disgrace. But when a daring stranger arrives in town, she challenges Kellen to take a different path. Ferius Parfax is one of the mysterious Argosi – a traveller who lives by her wits and the three decks of cards she carries. She’s difficult and unpredictable, but she may be Kellen’s only hope…

Publication Date – 4th October, 2018

Eve of Man, by Tom and Giovanna Fletcher 

All her life Eve has been kept away from the opposite sex. Kept from the truth of her past.

But at sixteen it’s time for Eve to face her destiny. Three potential males have been selected for her. The future of humanity is in her hands. She’s always accepted her fate.

Until she meets Bram.

Eve wants control over her life. She wants freedom.

But how do you choose between love and the future of the human race?

Publication Date – 31st May, 2018

Sea Witch, by Sarah Henning 

Everyone knows what happens in the end. A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss. But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends. One feared, one royal, and one already dead.

Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch.

A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.

But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.

Publication Date – 31st July, 2018

Tempest and Slaughter, by Tamora Pierce

Arram Draper is a boy on the path to becoming one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness–and for attracting danger. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram begins to realize that one day soon he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.

Publication Date – 20th September, 2018

Ace of Shades, by Amanda Foody

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, Enne has only one lead: the name Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

Publication Date – 17th May, 2018

Garrison Girl, by Rachel Aaron 

With the last vestige of the human race threatened by unstoppable carnivorous giants, a brave young woman decides to defy her wealthy family and join the military to fight against humanity’s enemies. But Rosalie Dumarque soon finds out that bloody sword fights with monsters aren’t the only dangers faced by the Wall Rose Garrison. Can she earn the trust of her fellow soldiers, stand up to a corrupt authority, navigate a forbidden romance…and cut her way out of a titan’s throat?

Publication Date – 7th August 2018

The Queens of Innis Lear, by Tessa Gratton 

The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes.

The king’s three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm’s only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted.

Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided.

Publication Date – 27th March 2018

Mirage, by Somaiya Daud

In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated moon.

But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.

As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection…because one wrong move could lead to her death.

Publication Date – 28th August, 2018

The Monsters We Deserve, by Marcus Sedgwick

The Villa Diodati, on the shore of Lake Geneva, 1816: the Year without Summer. As Byron, Polidori, and Mr and Mrs Shelley shelter from the unexpected weather, old ghost stories are read and new ghost stories imagined. Born by the twin brains of the Shelleys is Frankenstein, one of the most influential tales of horror of all time.

In a remote mountain house, high in the French Alps, an author broods on Shelley’s creation. Reality and perception merge, fuelled by poisoned thoughts. Humankind makes monsters; but who really creates who?

Publication Date – 6th September, 2018

Skyward, by Brandon Sanderson

Defeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot. When she discovers the wreckage of an ancient ship, she realizes this dream might be possible—assuming she can repair the ship, navigate flight school, and (perhaps most importantly) persuade the strange machine to help her. Because this ship, uniquely, appears to have a soul.

Publication Date – 6th November, 2018

The Last, by Hanna Jameson

Historian Jon Keller is on a trip to Switzerland when the world ends. As the lights go out on civilization, he wishes he had a way of knowing whether his wife, Nadia and their two daughters are still alive. More than anything, Jon wishes he hadn’t ignored Nadia’s last message.

Twenty people remain in Jon’s hotel. Far from the nearest city and walled in by towering trees, they wait, they survive.

Then one day, the body of a young girl is found. It’s clear she has been murdered. Which means that someone in the hotel is a killer.

As paranoia descends, Jon decides to investigate. But how far is he willing to go in pursuit of justice? And what kind of justice can he hope for, when society as he knows it no longer exists?

Publication Date – 31st January, 2019

Truthwitch, by Susan Dennard

Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she’s a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden – lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult’s true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls’ heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Publication Date – 12th January, 2017

Once Upon a River, by Diane Setterfield 

A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child.

Hours later the dead girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life.

Is it a miracle?

Is it magic?

Or can it be explained by science?

Publication Date – 17th January, 2019

Dear Evan Hansen, by Val Emmich 

When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family’s grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend.

Suddenly, Evan isn’t invisible anymore–even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy’s parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he’s doing can’t be right, but if he’s helping people, how wrong can it be?

No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. And a website. He’s confident. He’s a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and he comes face to face with his greatest obstacle: himself.

Publication Date – 9th October, 2018

The Binding, by Bridget Collins 

Young Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a strange letter arrives summoning him away from his family. He is to begin an apprenticeship as a Bookbinder—a vocation that arouses fear, superstition, and prejudice among their small community but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse.

For as long as he can recall, Emmett has been drawn to books, even though they are strictly forbidden. Bookbinding is a sacred calling, Seredith informs her new apprentice, and he is a binder born. Under the old woman’s watchful eye, Emmett learns to hand-craft the elegant leather-bound volumes. Within each one they will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want to forget, a binder can help. If there’s something you need to erase, they can assist. Within the pages of the books they create, secrets are concealed and the past is locked away. In a vault under his mentor’s workshop, rows upon rows of books are meticulously stored.

But while Seredith is an artisan, there are others of their kind, avaricious and amoral tradesman who use their talents for dark ends—and just as Emmett begins to settle into his new circumstances, he makes an astonishing discovery: one of the books has his name on it. Soon, everything he thought he understood about his life will be dramatically rewritten.

Publication Date – 7th January, 2019

Glow: Book 1 – Potency, by Aubrey Hadley 

The Maasai Mara Sleeping Syndrome has returned after a six-month hiatus. This time, it’s popped up in New York, and it’s wiped out an entire homeless shelter.

The same night of the outbreak, Harper, a seventeen-year-old girl, stumbles across a glowing figure in the desert outskirts of her neighborhood. As her suburb goes on lockdown, Harper finds herself isolated from her friends and family, and soon begins to suspect that the events — though thousands of miles apart — may have something in common.

Harper must find her bravery and embark on a plot-twisting adventure that will have her looking for answers in unexpected places… and worlds.

Publication Date – 13th February, 2019

And there we have it, there are the 27 arcs that I currently have on my TBR. Which one do you think I should read next?

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!

Book Total of 2019 – 1

XXX

Top Five Wednesday ||| 2019 Resolutions

It’s Wednesday and that means on thing: time for another Top Five Wednesday!

Top Five Wednesday was created back in November 2014 by Lainey from gingerrreadslainey over on Youtube. It’s a weekly meme that revolves around various, usually bookish, topics.

This weeks theme is the 2019 Reading Resolutions. It’s the start of the year so why not set some goals that might help with my reading.

Side note: it’s been a while since I wrote a T5W post, sorry about that.

Anyway, let’s get started!

Goodreads Challenge: 

For the fourth year in the row, I’m going to do the Goodread Reading Challenge. This helps me feel responsible for my reading as well as just sort of keeping track of everything. Now this year, for now, I’ve decided to keep me goal down a bit. I’ve set it to just 50 books. There’s a reason for this. This next year, possibly, will be the busiest year of my life so far so I’m not going to put as much pressure on my reading as I have for the past couple of years. 50 books is a clear, attainable goal. And I can always update it, if I want to.

Reduce My TBR:

At this moment in time, my TBR is 116 books long. I had a purge not to long ago and got rid of lots of books that no longer hold my attention. And since I want to cut my TBR down. I think an attainable goal is 80 books. Because even if I want to read at least 50 books this year, I’ll probably buy some things over the course of the year. So yeah, 80 book TBR by the end of the year feels realistic.

Catch Up on Netgalley Arcs: 

I’ve been a bit request happy at the moment on Netgalley. All these arcs are coming up and they sound so interesting so I just sort of keep clicking on them and requesting them.  Currently I have 27 arcs that I need to send Feedback to so I’m definitely going to be getting through these this year.

A lot of them sound really interesting too so hopefully I won’t be disappointed with many of them.

Figure Out a Bookbuyingban thing: 

I started the Bookbuyingbanathon last year and it kind of worked but also kind of didn’t so i’m going to have another go. This is basically a combination of a book buying ban and a read a thon. You don’t reward yourself for finishing the read a thon and there are no rules other than you need to get through your tbr. I might also include a read 10 before you buy. That’d definitely stop me from just buying books randomly. And it’s an easy number to remember. Every ten books I can, if I want, but a new books. Hmm … I kind of like how this is going. I’ll figure it out more later.

Writing: 

Not technically a reading goal but at least it’s linked slightly. I barely touched any of my writing last year so I want to work writing back into my routine. I want to get some more done with my novel and then, before drafting, move onto a new draft I’ve been thinking about for a while.

And there we have it, these are may five resolutions for the year.

Have you got any resolutions for the year?

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!

Book Total of 2019 – 1

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Favourite Books ||| 2018:

Another year has come and gone and that means it’s time to look at my favourite books of the year. I’ve changed my numbers this year, in previous years I’ve gone up with each year for example top 15 of 2015. But even though I’ve been loving the books I’ve read this year, I couldn’t finalise 18 so I’m going to do a top ten this year.

This year I’ve read 106 books. And this choice wasn’t easy so let’s discuss my 10 favourite books of the year. This order wasn’t easy to figure out, except for my top three and even now I’m kind of debating which should go where.

Anyway, here are my top ten books of 2018:

10. City of Ghosts, by Victoria Schwab

Cassidy Blake’s parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn’t sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn’t belong in her world. Cassidy’s powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.

I haven’t hidden it in the past that I’ve never completely clicked with Schwab’s writing. I think she’s a spectacular person but for what ever reason I’ve clicked with her writing. But this plot sounded really interesting and it was on offer so I thought, why not give it ago. And do you know what, I ended up loving it.

The writing was simplistic yet detailed, the characters holding enough mystery that I wanted to know more but revealed enough to keep me interested and the plot was incredibly unique. I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel.

9. And I Darken, by Kiersten White

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

I hadn’t read a Kiersten White book before, I’d heard wonderful things about her writing but for various reasons I just haven’t picked anything of hers up. But I was out shopping and I came across this and I remembered how interesting it had sounded so I gave it a go.

And let me tell you, a gender bent Vlad Dracula is insane. Lada is a stubborn and fierce character, someone who doesn’t take no for an answer. She’s smart and goes against the stereotype of women at the time perfectly. The plot itself is intriguing as it is partially set in reality and partially set in fiction.

Overall it was a well written fantasy that I cannot wait to continue later.

8. Stormdancer, by Jay Kristoff

Arashitoras are supposed to be extinct. So when Yukiko and her warrior father Masaru are sent to capture one for the Shõgun, they fear that their lives are over – everyone knows what happens to those who fail the Lord of the Shima Isles. But the mission proves less impossible and more deadly than anyone expects. Soon Yukiko finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in her country’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled arashitora for company. Although she can hear his thoughts, and saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her. Yet trapped together in the forest, Yukiko and the beast soon discover a bond that neither of them expected.

Meanwhile, the country around them verges on collapse. A toxic fuel is choking the land, the machine-powered Lotus Guild is publicly burning those they deem Impure, and the Shõgun cares for nothing but his own dominion. Authority has always made Yukiko, but her world changes when she meets Kin, a young man with secrets, and the rebel Kagé cabal. She learns the horrifying extent of the Shõgun’s crimes, both against her country and her family.

Returning to the city, Yukiko is determined to make the Shõgun pay – but what can one girl and a flightless arashitora do against the might of an empire?

This list is going to make it abundantly clear who my new favourite author is. Well … not new but he’s definitely a firm favourite this year.

This was Jay’s first published work, something that’s clear thanks to an obvious difference in writing quality. And although his writing style itself has bettered since the release of this book, you can still see his mastery at work. The characters were delightful and the plot was interesting. I can’t wait to continue this series in the New Year.

7. A Map of Days, by Ransom Riggs

Having defeated the monstrous threat that nearly destroyed the peculiar world, Jacob Portman is back where his story began, in Florida. Except now Miss Peregrine, Emma, and their peculiar friends are with him, and doing their best to blend in. But carefree days of beach visits and normalling lessons are soon interrupted by a discovery—a subterranean bunker that belonged to Jacob’s grandfather, Abe.

Clues to Abe’s double-life as a peculiar operative start to emerge, secrets long hidden in plain sight. And Jacob begins to learn about the dangerous legacy he has inherited—truths that were part of him long before he walked into Miss Peregrine’s time loop.

Now, the stakes are higher than ever as Jacob and his friends are thrust into the untamed landscape of American peculiardom—a world with few ymbrynes, or rules—that none of them understand.

This book came as a complete surprise to me. Not that I didn’t expect to enjoy it, it’s a Miss Peregrine’s book of course I’m going to enjoy it, no it came as a surprise because I simply didn’t know it was going to be released until its release was upon us.

I was hooked from start to finish and am noticing things I hadn’t before. This isn’t further up my list for two reasons. One, I couldn’t remember some details so various things didn’t register with me until much later. And two, there were times when it was a bit slow for my liking. I don’t know if it was the plot or just me recovering from my slump.

Still, I can’t wait to continue with this beloved series.

6. Renegades, by Marissa Meyer 

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

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

5. The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller 

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

I’m a mythology lover. No, I’m a history lover and I think if I hadn’t gone into drama then I would have definitely done something with history. And the Greeks definitely hold one of my most loved mythologies.

I know the story of Achilles but only through that of the Illiad. He’s a character that has always held my interest and yet, for some reason, I’ve never really delved deeper into him. But I did not know that he was gay. Something that has no doubt been hidden from the world when Christianity took over and all but destroyed anything that didn’t fit in with their teachings. Before someone says that i’ve offended them by saying that, I don’t mean to, I’m simply saying the truth.

I read this in one sitting. It gripped me and I sobbed at how beautiful it all was. Madeline Miller truly has a way with words and I cannot wait to get my hands on ‘Circe’ in the new year to find out how much I like that.

4. To Kill a Kingdom, by Alexandra Christo

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

I was sent an arc copy of this through Netgalley. I requested it because it sounded interesting and who doesn’t love a good retelling. Genuinely I didn’t expect to be drawn in as I was. It was gripping from beginning to end and a completely unique take on the Little Mermaid story. Lira and Elian felt unbelievably real and I need more of their story.

A fantastic story from a fantastic debut author. She’s one to look out for.

3. Obsidio, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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

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

‘Illumina’ was my favourite book of 2015, ‘Gemina’ my favourite book of 2016 and if I hadn’t of read such amazing works this year, ‘Obsidio’ would have been my favourite this year. It was for a long time.

This was an exquisite finale, it kept me hooked in fear out of these beloved characters. I needed to know how they got out, who was telling their story, if any of them died. And, as  usual, Jay and Amie didn’t disappoint. I can’t really say much about this because spoilers but it is a fantastic finale to a fantastic series.

2. LikeL1k3, by Jay Kristoff

On a floating junkyard beneath a radiation sky, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap.

Eve isn’t looking for secrets—she’s too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she’s just spent six months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, and the only thing keeping her Grandpa from the grave was the fistful of credits she just lost to the bookies. To top it off, she’s discovered she can destroy electronics with the power of her mind, and the puritanical Brotherhood are building a coffin her size. If she’s ever had a worse day, Eve can’t remember it.

But when Eve discovers the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic conscience, Cricket, in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, infiltrate towering megacities and scour the graveyard of humanity’s greatest folly to save the ones Eve loves, and learn the dark secrets of her past.

Even if those secrets were better off staying buried.

And the third and final book of Jay’s on this list came second. If only he’d brought ‘Darkdawn’ out this year he could have had another. But sadly he did not. But this book, I adore this book for several reasons but there is one big one. It brought me out of my slump. This was the first book I picked up that I knew I had to read and even though it took me a while to get through it, I loved every single second.

I’d never imagine that Jay would write a retelling but that exactly is what this is. But, unless you know the history, you don’t necessarily know that it is one. Jay expertly weaves history with fantasy in this intriguing novel. Eve, like most of Jay’s protagonists, isn’t perfect. She has her flaws and that’s what makes her feel real. She comes a long way during the course of the novel and develops as a character. But with everything that happens with that explosive ending, well, it seems like a lot of that development will be reversed which is fantastic. Few authors dare to do that simply out of fear of what could happen. But Jay is a magnificent author so I know he will be able to do it well.

This was very hard to place and almost made the top spot. But there is something else out there that has overtaken it, and I think you might know what that is.

1. Kingdom of Ash, by Sarah J. Maas

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

I genuinely cannot believe that this series has come to an end. I’ve been a part of this world for a while now, not since the beginning but for a while. I’ve seen Celaena and the rest of the characters grow and I simply cannot express how sad I was to see it end.

But Kingdom of Ash was the conclusion that I, and hopefully everyone else, needed. It broke my heart and stitched it back together again. I still can’t fully understand everything that happened and how she was able to wrap it all up but somehow Sarah did. I need something else from this world. Another short story collection or something like that because I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters.

This conclusion was worth the wait, and is definitely worthy of the top spot out of all the books I’ve read this year.

And there we have it, there are my favourite books of 2018.

What’s been your favourite read this year?

Oh, and Happy New Year everyone!

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!

Book Total fo 2018 – 106

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I Was Doing So Well! ||| Autumn Book Haul 2018

I love how last Book Haul I was talking about how well I was doing but then I moved back to uni and I spent money.

So, as usual, I’ve split this into the following sections: physical books, ebooks, and arcs.

Let’s get started:

Section One – Physical Books:

The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black 

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

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

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

City of Ghosts, by Victoria Schwab 

Cassidy Blake’s parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn’t sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn’t belong in her world. Cassidy’s powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.

Two Dark Reigns, by Kendare Blake 

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown

Queens of Fennbirn, by Kendare Blake

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

Catwoman: Soulstealer, by Sarah Maas

Two years after escaping Gotham City’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking.

Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman may be Batwing’s undoing.

A Torch Against the Night, by Sabaa Tahir

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

 Days of Blood and Starlight, by Laini Taylor

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Children of Blood and Bone, by Tom Adeyemi

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

Alanna: The First Adventure, by Tamora Pierce

Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So one day they decide to switch places: Disguised as a girl, Thom heads for the convent; Alanna, pretending to be a boy, is on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page. But the road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies. Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna’s first adventure begins—one that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and make her a legend in the land.

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding, by Alexandra Bracken 

Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history — that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper’s great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made — and then broke — a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, four-thousand-year-old Alastor isn’t exactly the forgiving type.

The fiend has reawakened with one purpose — to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him. With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his future without a side of eternal servitude, thanks.

Little does Prosper know, the malefactor’s control over his body grows stronger with each passing night, and there’s a lot Alastor isn’t telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host.

Deadly Heat, by Richard Castle 

NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat feels sparks from ride-along, journalist Jameson Rook. A real estate tycoon plunges to his death. A trophy wife with a past survives a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with motives all have alibis. Dirty little secrets of the wealthy hide until Nikki shines a light.

Frozen Heat, by Richard Castle

NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat feels sparks from ride-along, journalist Jameson Rook. A real estate tycoon plunges to his death. A trophy wife with a past survives a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with motives all have alibis. Dirty little secrets of the wealthy hide until Nikki shines a light.

Strange the Dreamer, by Laini Taylor 

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

A Crown of Cold Silver, by Alex Marshall 

Twenty years ago, feared general Cobalt Zosia led her five villainous captains and mercenary army into battle, wrestling monsters and toppling an empire. When there were no more titles to win and no more worlds to conquer, she retired and gave up her legend to history.

Now the peace she carved for herself has been shattered by the unprovoked slaughter of her village. Seeking bloody vengeance, Zosia heads for battle once more, but to find justice she must confront grudge-bearing enemies, once-loyal allies, and an unknown army that marches under a familiar banner.

Malice, by John Gwynne

Young Corban watches enviously as boys become warriors under King Brenin’s rule, learning the art of war. He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king’s realm. But that day will come all too soon. Only when he loses those he loves will he learn the true price of courage.

The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed shields in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Although the giant-clans were broken in ages past, their ruined fortresses still scar the land. But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. Sorrow will darken the world, as angels and demons make it their battlefield. Then there will be a war to end all wars.

High King Aquilus summons his fellow kings to council, seeking an alliance in this time of need. Some are skeptical, fighting their own border skirmishes against pirates and giants. But prophesy indicates darkness and light will demand two champions, the Black Sun and the Bright Star. They would be wise to seek out both, for if the Black Sun gains ascendancy, mankind’s hopes and dreams will fall to dust.

The Hazel Wood, by Melissa Albert 

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. Alice’s only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.

Ace of Shades, by Amanda Foody

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, Enne has only one lead: the name Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

Pet Semetery, by Stephen King 

When the Creeds move into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, it all seems too good to be true: physician father, beautiful wife, charming little daughter, adorable infant son — and now an idyllic home. As a family, they’ve got it all…right down to the friendly cat. But the nearby woods hide a blood-chilling truth — more terrifying than death itself…and hideously more powerful.

Anniliation, by Jeff VanderMeer 

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the world for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide, the third in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition.

The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.

They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything.

Kingdom of Ash, by Sarah J. Maas

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

The Poppy War, by R.F Kuang

When Rin aced the Keju, the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies, it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard, the most elite military school in Nikan, was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.

Bridge of Clay, by Markus Zusak 

The breathtaking story of five brothers who bring each other up in a world run by their own rules. As the Dunbar boys love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world, they discover the moving secret behind their father’s disappearance.

At the center of the Dunbar family is Clay, a boy who will build a bridge—for his family, for his past, for greatness, for his sins, for a miracle.

The question is, how far is Clay willing to go? And how much can he overcome?

Map of Days, by Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow-impossible though it seems-they may still be alive.

Section Two – eBooks:

The Kinslayer, by Jay Kristoff

Arashitoras are supposed to be extinct. So when Yukiko and her warrior father Masaru are sent to capture one for the Shõgun, they fear that their lives are over – everyone knows what happens to those who fail the Lord of the Shima Isles. But the mission proves less impossible and more deadly than anyone expects. Soon Yukiko finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in her country’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled arashitora for company. Although she can hear his thoughts, and saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her. Yet trapped together in the forest, Yukiko and the beast soon discover a bond that neither of them expected.

Meanwhile, the country around them verges on collapse. A toxic fuel is choking the land, the machine-powered Lotus Guild is publicly burning those they deem Impure, and the Shõgun cares for nothing but his own dominion. Authority has always made Yukiko, but her world changes when she meets Kin, a young man with secrets, and the rebel Kagé cabal. She learns the horrifying extent of the Shõgun’s crimes, both against her country and her family.

Returning to the city, Yukiko is determined to make the Shõgun pay – but what can one girl and a flightless arashitora do against the might of an empire?

Section Three – Arcs:

Soulbinder, by Sebastien de Castell 

Magic is a con game.

Kellen is moments away from facing his first mage’s duel and the start of four trials that will make him a spellcaster. There’s just one problem: his magic is gone. As his sixteenth birthday approaches, Kellen falls back on his cunning in a bid to avoid total disgrace. But when a daring stranger arrives in town, she challenges Kellen to take a different path. Ferius Parfax is one of the mysterious Argosi – a traveller who lives by her wits and the three decks of cards she carries. She’s difficult and unpredictable, but she may be Kellen’s only hope…

Skyward, by Brandon Sanderson

Defeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot. When she discovers the wreckage of an ancient ship, she realizes this dream might be possible—assuming she can repair the ship, navigate flight school, and (perhaps most importantly) persuade the strange machine to help her. Because this ship, uniquely, appears to have a soul.

The Last, by Hanna Jameson

Historian Jon Keller is on a trip to Switzerland when the world ends. As the lights go out on civilization, he wishes he had a way of knowing whether his wife, Nadia and their two daughters are still alive. More than anything, Jon wishes he hadn’t ignored Nadia’s last message.

Twenty people remain in Jon’s hotel. Far from the nearest city and walled in by towering trees, they wait, they survive.

Then one day, the body of a young girl is found. It’s clear she has been murdered. Which means that someone in the hotel is a killer.

As paranoia descends, Jon decides to investigate. But how far is he willing to go in pursuit of justice? And what kind of justice can he hope for, when society as he knows it no longer exists?

Truthwitch, by Susan Dennard 

Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she’s a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden – lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult’s true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls’ heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Once Upon the River, by Diane Setterfield

A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child.

Hours later the dead girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life.

Is it a miracle?

Is it magic?

Or can it be explained by science?

And there we have it, there are the twenty nine books I’ve added to my tbr in the past few months. I definitely need to think of a new way to stop myself from buying books these methods aren’t working.

How many books have you added to your tbr lately? As you can tell, I added 26 to mine. Which book should I start straight away!

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!

Book Total of 2018 – 106

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Resolution Review ||| 2018:

Once again we are approaching the end of the year, so I thought I’d talk about the goals that I set at the start of the year. Honestly, I’m not really sure how I’ve done with these this year as I set a variety of goals. At the start of the year, I split my goals into the following sections: reading, writing, blogging, and life.

So let’s explore my goals and see how I did:

Life Goals:

Heather Me:

As an actor, I wanted to started eating more healthily as well as going to the gym more. So that I could have more energy as well as feeling more confident in myself. I started off doing this really well but then … well my mental health got the better of me and my schedule got a bit hectic so I sort of let it all slide. But at least now I know I can do it now!

Socialise: 

I can be a little bit anti-social at times, and it hasn’t helped that I do live alone now. But, surprisingly, I have been a lot more sociable this year. Yes, I’m not an extrovert but I have enjoyed spending time with other people more often.

Take Pictures: 

In this digital age, it so often happens that I miss out on memories because I simply forget to take photos. So I wanted to start giving myself some memories. And I’ve actually done quite well with that. Though I know I could still do better.

Self Care: 

Due to how busy I’ve been I have slightly neglected self care at times. But I think I’m going to be able to work on this, bit by bit, for 2019.

Reading Goals:

Goodread Challenge: 

I set my reading goal of the year for 80 books. And I smashed it! I’m currently at 105 books, and I hope that I can get one or two more books in before the end of the year. I did have a tough time earlier on in the year thanks to a horrific reading slump but I still managed to do really well.

Bookbuyingathon:

This is a scheme that I started to combine my reading and book buying habits because I buy far to many books, far more than I can reasonably afford. At times this worked really well but at other times it didn’t. I’m going to have to search for a new way to not spend money.

Read More Classics: 

In 2017, I set up a scheme in which I read at least one classic every single month. Other than rereading some Tolkien and reading ‘The Man Who Laughs’ by Victor Hugo, I haven’t read anything else. So I think I utterly failed at this.

Read More Genres: 

Typically I stick to Sci-Fi and Fantasy when looking for a new book, so I wanted to branch out. I did read some plays, some mangas, some thrillers. But I still mainly read sci-fi and fantasy. But hey, I like sci-fi and fantasy.

Read More Diversely: 

The world isn’t made up of one race, one gender, one sexuality, so why should everything I read be based in one culture. Sadly, since many of the books on my shelves are based in a culture related to my own, I haven’t been able to be as diverse as I’d like. But as I work on bringing down my tbr then I’ll be able to acquire more diverse books.

DNFing: 

I used to be scared of dnfing books. Authors work so hard that I thought I’d offend them by not reading their books. But this has caused me to go into reading slumps in the past. So, I really haven’t shied away from deciding to dnf a book if I didn’t like it.

Blogging Goals:

Three Posts a Week: 

Ideally my schedule would consist of three different posts per week; monday, wednesday, and friday. But this year my blogging just hasn’t been up to scratch. I’ll be trying to work this out so I can actually bring out a decent amount of posts over the next year.

Reviews: 

Initially I wanted to write at least one review per month. To be able to talk about my thoughts and feelings. I ended up uploading only four reviews over the whole year and they were all in the first five weeks. So yeah, I didn’t do too well with this.

Getting Involved: 

I wanted to try and get to know people in this community and I think if I hadn’t backed away thanks to slumps and my life getting a bit hectic, I would have actually gotten involved but I didn’t. Not really.

Writing Goals:

Try To Write Everyday: 

I wanted to write something everyday, to contribute to my novel in some way shape or form. Have I done that. Nope, not at all.

Finish Draft 2: 

I’ve been in such a creative slump that I haven’t been able to write anything that I actually like so I just sort of put everything to the side and have hardly touched my novel at all. So, yeah I haven’t finished my draft.

Beta Readers: 

Since I haven’t finished a draft, I have nothing to send to any readers out there, so this is a definite no.

Monthly Updates: 

I was going to update my writing process each month but I hardly did any writing so I didn’t even do one. Oops.

And there we have it, there is the review of my resolutions for the year. I hope you did better than me.

Time to get thinking on what I should do for next year now.

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!

Book Total of 2018 – 105

XXX

 

An Unhaul for the New Year

As it stands at this current moment in time, my TBR is 132 books long. Now some of these books have been on my shelf for a very long time and I genuinely don’t have much interest in reading them now. I bought them for cheap and I just don’t really think they are my current cup of tea anymore. So, since the New Year is upon us I’ve decided to have a little purge.

I have two lots of bookshelves. The ones with me in London and the ones in my parents’ home. The ones at home I don’t see very often because I’m not at home that much. So instead of being selfish I think I’ll pass them on to some other people out there.

Right, how am I going to tackle this? I’m going to read the blurb of these various books and see if they interest me still or not. If they do then I’ll give the first chapter a read and see if it holds my attention. If there’s any doubt then it’s by for now.

Right, I’ll see you all on the other side.

• Rage Against the Dying, by Becky Masterman
• The Poison Tree, by Erin Kelly
• The Outsiders, by Gerald Seymour
• The Life and Death of Sophie Stark, by Anna North
• Unremembered, by Jessica Brody
• The Camelot Code, by Sam Christer
• They Abbey, by Chris Culver
• Bound, by Sarah Bryant
• The Disciple, by Steven Dunne
• Prey, by Thomas Emson
• Wrapped in White, by Kevin Brooks
• The Wrath and the Dawn, by Renee Ahdieh
• Good Me, Bad Me, by Ali Land
• Wicked Cometh, by Laura Carlin
• The Sacrifice Box, by Martin Stewart
• Devil’s Days, by Andrew Michael Hurley
• Son of Zeus, by Glyn Iliffe
• Daughter of War, by S.J.A Turney
• The Fog, by Caroline b. Cooney
• Digital Fortress, by Dan Brown
• Deception Point, by Dan Brown

And there we have it, I’ve gotten rid of 21 books. There are a few that I’m a little bit unsure of, but for now they’re staying.

So overall I now have 105 books on my tbr. Now I won’t lie with the holidays coming up and I’m waiting for a few items to arrive in the post so I know that my TBR will grow but there it is at this current moment in time.

I think I’m going to figure out a way for me to keep my TBR down to under a 100 books over the next year. I’m not sure if that’ll work but I’ll have a go. And I know my bank account would definitely appreciate that.

How big is your tbr at the moment?

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!

Book Total of 2018 – 105

 

 

Reading Wrap Up ||| September, October, and November 2018:

Hi Guys,

As some people may have noticed, i’ve been a bit absent over the past few months. And for that I want to apologise. I’m in my final year at Uni and have lots of deadlines piling up on top of me so I won’t lie when I say that this hasn’t been a major priority for me. I was also in a rather large creative slump for some time so I just didn’t really know what I wanted to write about. But … I’m back! And hopefully, though I might not be as regular as I once was, I will be able to keep writing during 2019.

Now let’s get started.

It’s been so long since I did a wrap up and I’ve actually read quite a few books these past few months so lets discuss what I’v been reading.

September:

Nevernight, by Jay Kristoff

Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Destined to destroy empires, the child raised in shadows made a promise on the day she lost everything: to avenge herself on those that shattered her world.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, and Mia must become a weapon without equal. Before she seeks vengeance, she must seek training among the infamous assassins of the Red Church of Itreya.

Inside the Church’s halls, mia must prove herself against the deadliest of opponents and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Church is no ordinary school, but Mia is no ordinary student.

I tried to take part in a read along with Kaz from LittleBookOwl and Piera from Piera Ford both on Youtube. This was taking place in September and October in honour of the original release date of Darkdawn. I read Nevernight which I adored as usual. But I just didn’t get chance to read Godsgrave. Five Stars.

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller 

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’s mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

I adore mythology, always have. And the Greeks have some of my favourite myths. I’m really surprised that I hadn’t read this before since it holds everything I love dear. This book was incredible! It introduced an area of the story I didn’t really know about, thanks to historical erasure of things that just aren’t the societal norm. It was breathtaking and everything I needed in this world. Five stars.

The Hobbit, by J.R.R Tolkien

Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole in Bag End by Gandalf the wizard and a company of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Although quite reluctant to take part in this quest, Bilbo surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and his skill as a burglar!

If you didn’t know, the Hobbit is my favourite book and I read it at least once a year. And of course, I adored this book just as much as I always do! Five stars.

October:

Goodbye to Berlin, by Christopher Isherwood

Written as a connected series of six short stories the book, first published in 1939, is a brilliant evocation of the decadence and repression, glamour and sleaze of Berlin society. Isherwood shows the lives of people at threat from the rise of the Nazis: Natalia Laundauer, the rich, Jewish heiress, Peter and Otto, a gay couple andthe ‘divinely decadent’ Sally Bowles, a young English woman who was so memorably portrayed by Liza Minnelli.

In order to prepare myself for one of two productions I could be in, I read the literary work it was based on. Although it did give an insight into something that I will hopefully never experience, it was dreadfully boring. Two stars.

The Queens of Fennbirn, by Kendare Blake 

Uncover the sisters’ origins, dive deep into the catastrophic reign of the Oracle Queen, and reveal layers of Fennbirn’s past, hidden until now.

This is a novella that stands to heighten the world of the Three Dark Crowns series. I adore this series, even though I haven’t had chance to read the third book yet. And this book added so much to the series, revealing a lot of interesting details that I didn’t think would be important but clearly will be. Four stars.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Volumes 10-12, by Hiromu Arawaka

Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world; something between magic, art and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in this power to grant their dearest wish, one of them lost an arm and a leg…and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living steel. Now Edward is an agent of the government, a slave of the military-alchemical complex, using his unique powers to obey orders…even to kill. Except his powers aren’t unique. The world has been ravaged by the abuse of alchemy. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher’s Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are…

As usual, this manga series is incredible. It kept me hooked throughout with each new story line. Five stars each!

A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow, by George R. Martin

Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.

I had been listening to this audiobook for ages for two reasons: one, it’s over 50 hours long. And two, I just hadn’t time. As with the previous two: this book held my attention through out and although the narrator isn’t the best with female voices, he still captivated me. Four stars.

Map of Days, by Ransom Riggs 

Set almost directly after Library of Souls, Jacob has returned to Florida but his friends aren’t far behind and he’s learnt that the United States is fair more dangerous and peculiar than he’d ever have guessed. 

Really I could have done with rereading the series as there were aspects and characters that i’d forgotten about but I still adored this book. I read in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down. Definitely a worthwhile read for anyone who wants to continue the series. Four stars.

Throne of Glass Series Books 1-6, by Sarah J. Maas

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

In order to celebrate the release of the final book in the series. I decided to reread every book in the Throne of Glass series. As usual, I adored every single book. And gave all of them five stars.

Kingdom of Ash, by Sarah J. Maas

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

The long awaited finale. I read this in one sitting and adored every single second of it. I sobbed for the majority of it and though I’m definitely not sure that I’m completely ready to let this world go, I still adored ever second! Five stars.

Renegades, by Marissa Meyer 

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

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

I didn’t expect to adore this book as much as I did. Which is odd because I always adore Marissa’s work. But this book hooked me from page one. It has all my favourite things: superpowers, mystery, and action. And that ending! I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book! Five stars.

November:

The Man Who Laughs, by Victor Hugo 

It starts on the night of January 29, 1690, a ten-year-old boy abandoned — the stern men who’ve kept him since infancy have wearied of him. The boy wanders, barefoot and starving, through a snowstorm to reach a gibbet bearing the corpse of a hanged criminal. Beneath the gibbet is a ragged woman, frozen to death. The boy is about to move onward when he hears a sound within the woman’s garments: He discovers an infant girl, barely alive, clutching the woman’s breast. A single drop of frozen milk, resembling a pearl, is on the woman’s lifeless breast…

I saw an adaptation of this earlier in the year. And it was incredible! So straight away I downloaded an e copy of the book to give it a read. Now I don’t have the best relationship with classics because I can’t always get into them. Some I gel with really easily but others I can’t. This, sadly, was one I couldn’t gel with. It was still interesting though. Three stars.

The Hostile Hospital, by Lemony Snicket

Dear Reader,

I’m sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

I grew up adoring these books. They were different to almost everything else I’d read. Though this was one of the books that I skipped because I borrowed them from the library and they never had this one in so I always skipped it. But I did enjoy it. A lot more than I enjoy some of the other ones possibly because I’ve never read it before. Overall, I gave it five stars.

A Bear Called Paddington, by Michael Bond 

Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington, a most endearing bear from Darkest Peru on a railway platform in London. A sign hanging around his neck said, “Please look after this bear. Thank you” So that is just what they did.

From the very first night when he attempted his first bath and ended up nearly flooding the house, Paddington was seldom far from imminent disaster. Jonathan and Judy were delighted with this havoc and even Mr. and Mrs. Brown had to admit that life seemed to be more filled with adventure when there was a bear in the house.

Although i’ve known who Paddington is all my life, I’ve never actually read the books so when I came across the Audiobook I decided to give it a listen. And I adored it, especially since it was narrated by Stephen Fry. Four Stars.

The Body in the Library, by Agatha Christie 

When the Bantrys wake up to find the body of a beautiful young stranger in their library, Dolly Bantry knows there’s only one person to call: her old friend Miss Marple.

Who was the young girl? What was she doing in the library? And is there a connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are discovered in an abandoned quarry?

Miss Marple must solve the mystery, before tongues start to wag, and the murderer strikes again.

I’ve really enjoyed the few Christie books that I’d read so I thought why not pick up something new. Sadly, there was just something about this one that I couldn’t gel with. Three stars.

The Carnivorous Carnival, by Lemony Snicket 

Dear Reader,

I’m sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

This is one of the series that I’ve known quite well for a while, it clicked with me and I loved every single second. Especially on this run. Four stars.

And there we have it, over three months I read 23 books. I’m getting back into swing of things and, fingers crossed, this is me getting out of my slump.

How’s your reading gone these past few months?

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!

Book Total fo 2018 – 104

XXX

Try A Chapter Challenge

I’ve having a bit of a pickle with what I want to read at the moment so I thought why not give the ‘try a chapter’ challenge a go.

The rules are simple: take some books off of your shelf, read the first chapter of them and see which one captures your attention first.

So the books that I’ve selected are:

• The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black
• Wonder Woman: Warbringer, by Leigh Bardugo
• An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir
• The Poppy War, by R.F. Kuang
• Renegades, by Marissa Meyer

I know that it’s quite a few books but I think it’ll help me choose. I’m now in a mood to read but I’m just not sure what. So, I’m curled up in bed with a hot drink, some poptarts and some relaxing music playing. I think it’s time to get started.

Book One – The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black

One terrible night, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The fearsome assassin abducts all three girls and brings them to the world of Faerie. Mocked and tormented for being merely mortal, Jude soon realises that to survive in the treacherous, dangerous world of the royal court, she needs to be cunning and deceitful as the Fey themselves. 

But the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal. And looming over all is the arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan. 

Holly Black is an author that I adore and I’ve had a copy of this for a while as I was sent it to review through Netgalley. But I recently purchased the paperback and it has made me want to read it so much more. The prologue is 7 pages long so I’m going to give that a read and then i’ll tell you my thoughts later on.

Initial Thoughts: 

So I’m not sure how I feel. The prose is everything I know and love from Ms Black and it’s definitely full of action in that first scene. But I’m just not sure. I have no doubt it’ll be amazing but it just hasn’t drawn my attention in straight away.

Book Two – Wonder Woman: Warbringer, by Leigh Bardugo 

Diana is desperate to prove herself to her warrior sisters. But when the opportunity comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law to save a mere mortal, Alia Keralis. With this single heroic act, Diana may have just doomed the world. 

Alia is a warbringer – a descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery. Diana and Alia will face and army of enemies, mortal and divine, determined to destroy or posses the Warbringer.

 To save the world, they must stand side by side against the tide of war. 

This book has been on my shelves for a while, I won’t lie. And I tried to pick it up before but for some reason I just haven’t been able to get into it. But I adore Leigh’s writing so why not give it another go. The first chapter is seventeen pages long, wish me luck.

Initial Thoughts: 

I’ve definitely connected more this time than last time. Maybe because I actually know what the plot is about instead of just seeing Leigh’s name and going “Ohh i’ll buy that”. It’s holding my interest but isn’t really pulling me in. I’m not quite sure how I feel if i’m honest.

Book Three – An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir 

When Laia’s grandparents are brutally murdered and her brother arrested for treason by the empire, the only people she has left to turn to are the rebels. But in exchange for their help in saving her brother, they demand Laia spy on the ruthless Commandant of Blackcliff, the Empire’s greatest military academy. Should she fail it’s more than her brother’s freedom at risk … Laia’s very life is at stake. 

There, she meets Elias, the academy’s finest soldier. But Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s been trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realise that their destinies are intertwined – and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. 

I’ve actually read this book before. I read it back in 2015 and can remember enjoying it but not totally loving it. However, everyone has been raving about this series that I just sort of went “screw it” and bought the next book to see what all the fuss is about. I honestly don’t really remember much about this so this’ll be fun. I’m going to read the first two chapters as they are only ten pages long in total.

Initial Thoughts: 

I’d forgotten so much about this series and I’ll say this. This has definitely got me intrigued. Getting to read from both viewpoints has helped too, giving this vision of either characters easily. Quite funny that this is the one I’m most invested in when usually I can’t stand dual perspectives.

Book Four – The Poppy War, by R.F Kuang 

Opium runs through the heart of the Nikara Empire, a constant reminder of the war with the Federation of Mugen that brought it to the empire’s shores. A war that only ended thanks to three heroes – the Vipress, the Dragon Emperor and the Gatekeeper – known as the Trifecta. They were legendary figures, each bestowed with god-like powers, who united the warlord of the Empire against the Federation. 

Decades have passed. The Trifecta is shattered: the Dragon Emperor is dead, the Gatekeeper missing, and the Vipers alone sits on the throne at Sinegard. Peace reigns, yet the poppy remains. 

War orphan Fang Runin grew up with it. Her adopted family smuggles it throughout Rooster province, making a living on the misfortune of those addicted to its smoke. But when Rin’s parents force her into an arranged marriage, Rin refuses to accept her fate and fights her way to the prestigious military academy at Sinegard. 

There she will learn of drug-fuelled shamanic powers thought to be myth, powers which might defeat the Federation during its third invasion. But the cost of some power is too great to pay, even if it means winning a war that threatens to destroy an entire nation. 

The Youtuber Piera Ford raved about this and she just made it sound so good so I bought it. I have no real expectations other than it sounds amazing. The first chapter is twenty five pages long. Let’s see what all the fuss is about.

Initial Thoughts:

I kind of love that. It has the perfect mix of heavy language with gripping plot points. I really want to keep going but I have said that I’ll give another book a go.

Book Five – Renegades, by Marissa Meyer 

Nova is an anarchist, a girl on a mission for vengeance after the heroes sworn to protect her family failed her. 

Adrian is a renegade, a boy with extraordinary abilities who believes in justice, and in Nova. 

They should be sworn enemies, but Nova finds herself torn between Adrian and the Renegades, and a villain that could destroy them both. 

I adore Marissa Meyer’s writing so I really don’t understand why I haven’t read this yet. But, for some reason, I haven’t. I tried to start this when I was in my horrific slump – and enjoyed what I’d read – but my slump just stopped me from reading. So i’m going to give it another go now. So there’s a little side bit and a prologue which lasts sixteen pages. I’m going to go give that a go.

Initial Thoughts: 

This was as gripping as I remember it being. So action packed and heart wrenching because what would you do in that situation. It shows off everything that I love about Marissa’s writing, screaming that it needs to be read immediately.

What I’m Going to Read:

Now i’m torn. Really torn. I know that it’s been The Poppy War or Renegades but i’m honestly not sure which. So I’m going to the simplest thing. I’m going to flip a coin. Heads for Poppy War, Tails for Renegades. And if I get fifty pages in and decide I want to read the other then there we go.

Right, ready? Drum roll please ….

I’m going to be reading …….

(dramatic pause for effect)

The Poppy War!

And I can’t wait to get started.

What are you currently reading?

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!

Book Total of 2018 – 82

XXX