July Wrap-Up

    Hey everyone!  It is officially August which means we are officially on our way out of summer (thank GOD).  I am obviously not a huge fan of summer for obvious reasons (sunlight, heat, destroyed kidneys, etc.) but if I had to pick a favorite month of summer, it would probably be August.  I always have a lot going on this month and this year is no exception.  We just got back from our vacation up north and it was AMAZING to just unplug and unwind for a week.  This week is the Yankee Homecoming Festival in Newburyport, MA, which is where my family is from.  We usually make time every year to go down, peruse the shops, eat food, and watch the parade at the end of the week.  It's a really great family weekend and I'm looking forward to sharing that with my nephew for the first time.

(inbeon.com)

    Next weekend the hubs and I will be in Boston for Boston Comic Con (8/12-8/14) and we'll be tag-teaming the Inbeon Studios booth with a few of our favorite people.  If you're attending Con this year, stop by our table and say hello!  Then, at the end of the month is St. Anthony's Feast, which is also in Boston.  It's one of the oldest Italian festivals in America and it's packed with people, food, Italian goods, and music.  I love going because it gives me an opportunity to explore that part of my culture, while also stuffing my face with cannolis and sfogliatelle (Google it, they are THE BOMB).  This year I actually have an opportunity to go to both St. Anthony's Feast and the Fisherman's Feast, which is the weekend before (8/20 and 8/21).  Similar feast, different saint, same sort of fun.  It's a great experience and if you're Italian I guarantee that you'll enjoy yourself.

    On to the books!  Unfortunately, I think I set myself up for failure last month with so many books.  I didn't spend as much time reading as I did last summer while we were on vacation, so I only managed to finish three books and start a fourth, which I hope to finish soon.  My August TBR is pretty daunting, so I'll try to get through as much as I can, but that's a blog for another day.  These are the books I finished last month.

(goodreads.com)

    I believe in my last post I had started Six of Crows, but hadn't finished yet.  I really enjoyed this book, far more than the original Grisha trilogy.  The characters are so much more complex and the story is so much more engaging that I literally had trouble putting the book down.  I enjoyed seeing the world from an alternative perspective from a different slum city and the problems that setting causes for our characters.  I'm a sucker for multiple points of view, so this book was right up my alley.  My favorite character was probably Kaz (I'm sure many of you would agree) because his character is so guarded and mysterious, but as the reader we get to see inside his head a little more to understand why he is the way he is and it's just heartbreaking to understand the truth and the severity of what he's been through and how it cripples him not just physically but mentally as well.  As the self-proclaimed "leader" of this band of thieves and criminals, this is something I think he'll end up having to deal with at great cost in the second and final book.  I also really enjoyed the back-and-forth from Nina and Matthias because they were so annoyed with each other it made me laugh at times.  The banter in this book was great and very reminiscent of (almost) Infernal Devices for me, but maybe a little darker.  I ended up giving this book 4.5 our of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    The second book I read last month was Rick Riordan's first book in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series The Sword of Summer.  What originally drew me to this book was the stunning cover, but I've also never read any of Rick Riordan's books before this one (GASP).  I know, I'm a horrible person.  I was also drawn to the idea of Norse mythology over the Greek mythology of the original series, so I ended up choosing this one as my first Riordan novel.  This book did not disappoint me at all.  I was hooked from the chapter titles and it just got more interesting from there.  I loved all the characters, the protagonist's back story, the setting, etc.  Knowing that Riordan lives in Boston, the setting definitely showed his love for the city and his attention to detail.  He made me want to go into town and try to find all the landmarks he created from Norse influence.  I also really liked that he had a diverse cast of characters and portrayed a character with a disability.  He was probably one of my favorite characters too, and it was great how well they all worked together.  The only thing I didn't really like about this book was the main villain.  He seemed like the main villain for most of the book and, although he was quite menacing, I feel like he didn't live up to his obviously heinous reputation.  The REAL main antagonist was also a little bit underwhelming as well, although the last battle was pretty brutal.  All in all it was a great fun read and I'm curious to see what happens in the second installment.  I gave this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    Last but not least, I read Hollow City by Ransom Riggs, which is the second book in the Miss Peregrine's series.  I hadn't picked this book up yet and I read the first one last year almost a year ago, so I wanted to refresh my memory while also prepping myself for the movie coming out later this year.  This book is a continuation of the events that happened in the first book, so I'll try not to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet.  The book starts out incredibly slow, so I almost gave up on it in order to read another book because I had no idea where they were going to end up for about five chapters, but eventually it got more interesting and their travels.  Their survival was the key story line in this book and the troubles they face are many.  There are some real-world issues from history going on in this book due to the time loops, so it's interesting to see these historical events portrayed in this story.  None of the characters stood out to me that much since they have all worked together in a cohesive group since the beginning, besides Jacob.  The relationship he has with Claire is tested as they come to terms with the finality of their situation.  Overall I'd say this was a good second book to a series, but it wasn't anything I would read again eagerly.  I gave this book 2.5/3 out of 5 stars.

    Those are all the books I read in the month of July!  What did your July reading log look like?  Have you read any of these books and, if so, what did you think?  Let me know in the comments!  I'll be posting my August TBR shortly, so stay tuned!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

June Wrap-Up and July TBR

    Hello everyone!  Can you believe it's already July?  I'm super hyped about my upcoming camping trip vacation and that means planning out what I'll read on the beach every day.  July is always a great reading month for me because I can usually knock out at least four books if not more while I'm on vacation, not including the rest of the month.  Before we look at my tentative reading list for July, let's talk about the two books I finished last month.

(goodreads.com)

    An Ember in the Ashes was actually a book that I wasn't initially interested in.  Desert fiction and Arabian fantasy don't really interest me or get me excited, so based on my judgment of the cover and synopsis, I didn't think I would like this book.  I judged this book way too quickly, which I will never do again.  The setting was actually based on Ancient Rome, which interests me greatly.  I really enjoyed the characters of this book and the connections between each of them.  The pacing at the beginning was a bit slow for me and I wasn't always sure what was going on.  I still had a tough time picturing the setting throughout the book, so I spent a lot of time going back and forth between the cover and the map inside to help me out.  I think Laia's development over the course of the book was great, especially since I found her annoying in the beginning.  My favorite character was probably Elias because he was very conflicted, but also very noble, which is an anomaly for his "profession."  I'm anticipating the sequel coming out soon to be just as action-packed as this first book, so hopefully I won't be disappointed.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    The second book that I managed to finish last month was Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton.  This book was recommended to me by a colleague and I wanted to give it a try.  Set in the Scottish wilderness (and China for a bit) this book follows a young girl named Quinn and her fellow Seekers-in-training John and Shinobu as they work towards their goals of becoming full-fledged Seekers like their parents.  Little do they know the price they are about to pay for that knowledge and power.  I thought the concept of this story was intriguing and the setting was gorgeous.  I'm a sucker for anything in the UK, so bring me there immediately please.  The concept of Seekers, which is the main conflict in the story, still seem to be a bit ambiguous.  By the end of the book, we understand what Seekers are doing now and the powers they possess through their artifacts, but we really don't understand what they are supposed to be doing or what they are supposed to represent, before they were turned into something other.  I'm hoping they elaborate more on that in the second book.
    The characters were a little stagnant for me in the sense that I didn't think that any of them really stood out or did anything to be recognized as cunning, important, strong, etc.  The character I liked the most and the one whom I thought had the best development and story line was Shinobu.  He had the biggest transformation for me and I found myself rooting for him in the end.  The story really revolved around him, with John portrayed as more of a villain (but even then, not really) and Quinn, whom I had thought was the main protagonist, but didn't really seem like it.  Overall, I think I would read the second book just to see where the story goes from where we left off.  I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars.

    Ok, so now I want to talk about the books that I plan on reading this month.  This will be a tentative list because things tend to come up and I may or may not get to all of these, despite my best intentions.  I also tend to change my mind over the course of a month (for example, I had no intention of reading Seeker last month until my coworker asked me to).  These are books I want to read in the month of July and over the summer or have just been on my TBR shelf for awhile.

(goodreads.com)

    The first book I plan on reading (or finishing) is Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.  I've already started it and it's taken me a long time to get to this book as it is.  This book follows six outlaws as they strive to complete the most impossible heist.  There's magic, backstabbing, and cunning gangs in this version of the Grisha world, which is a stark contrast to her other books.  I wasn't a huge fan of Bardugo's Grisha trilogy, so I was hesitant to pick this one up, which is set in the same world.  However, many Booktubers have been raving about this book, even if they didn't care for the original trilogy, so I thought I would give it a shot.  So far I'm not disappointed, so we'll see how it goes.

(goodreads.com)

    Hollow City by Ransom Riggs has also been on my TBR list, ever since I finished Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children last fall.  As you may already know, the movie adaptation is being released by the end of the year, so I'd like to brush up before going to see it.  I'm glad Tim Burton is directing, but it seems like they've already changed a lot of things about the characters so far, so I'm a bit wary.  Hollow City is a continuation of the original book, taking place directly after the events of the first book and following Jacob on his quest to London to meet up with other peculiars in order to fend off The Hollows.  This is one of the most interesting and unique story lines I've ever read and all of the characters bring something unique to the table, so I'm excited to continue with this series.

(goodreads.com)

    It's been almost a full year since Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: Sword of Summer was released and the next one will be coming out soon, so it's about time I read it.  I've never read any of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series or any of his other books, but the setting in Boston and the focus on Norse mythology had me interested in this book (not to mention the stunning cover).  I've had this book in my hands countless times but have never been able to pull the trigger until now.  This was my number one summer read on my list, so lets hope it lives up to the hype.

(goodreads.com)

    Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman recently infiltrated my TBR shelf.  I've been looking to fill the gaping void left by the Falling Kingdoms series (the next book doesn't come out until December) and this looked like a good fit.  There seems to be similarities in the variation in character perspectives as well as the alternative motives and manipulations of these characters.  The story takes place during an alternative past and follows a young Alexander the Great as he attempts to secure his kingdom.  This looks really interesting and I'm totally in the mood for another great fantasy, so bring it on!

(goodreads.com)

    Another book that's recently caught my eye is Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch.  I don't know much about this series besides the fact that the kingdoms are separated by seasons, which reminded me immediately of ACOTAR, obviously.  There seems to be a magical element as well, which is always interesting.  This story follows a young female refugee of the fallen Winter realm as she trains to avenge her people and help them rise to power again.  The cover is stunning as well, so I hope I have time to cram this book into my summer reading pile.

(goodreads.com)

    Last, but not least, another long-time resident of my TBR shelf is the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson.  I really couldn't tackle a huge series with the amount of schoolwork I've had lately, so the summer is really the best time to dive into a new epic fantasy series.  I've also been trying to read more adult books, regardless of genre, so I'm working my way towards that goal (albeit slowly).  This series is raved about on Booktube so much it would be a disservice to myself not to read it.  The main seller of this series is the magic system, which centers around Allomancy, (the manipulation of metals).  Sounds like a fun and epic read to be sure.  I can't wait to get into it!

    As I stated earlier, this is only a tentative list of books I hope to read next month.  In all likelihood, some many end up on August's reading list, but as long as I get to them before the fall, I think I'll feel accomplished either way.  I have some new releases coming out at the end of the summer and the early fall that I have to make room for, so I'm eagerly anticipating the next few months of reading.  What are you planning on reading this summer?  Have you read any of these books yet?  Let me know in the comments!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

January TBR

    Hello, and welcome to 2016!  So far so good on this end, although I've been battling a pretty nasty cold.  I apologize in advance if I don't end up posting Thursday, but I've been pretty busy on top of being sick, planning my little sister's baby shower for next weekend.  Forgive me if I'm a little scatter-brained!  I'm here today to bring you my list of books I'll be attempting to read this month.  Seeing as I only read about 3 books last month, I'll only try to tackle 4 or 5 this month.  We'll see if I can get to them all.

(goodreads.com)

    The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima is the first book in Chima's older, (first?), 5-book fantasy series.  I had originally planned to read this book a few months ago, but never got around to it.  But now I have time!  This book follows a boy named Jack, who is a high school teenager with a heart defect.  One day he skips his very important medicine and actually feels great, superior even to his old self.  He then gets thrown into a secret underground world filled with wizards and enchanters and warriors who live among us normal humans.  I've already started this book and I'm about 200 pages in.  At this point, I'm not loving it as much as Chima's Demon King series, but I'm going to try to read a few more hundred pages before I give up on it.  I'm just not that into it at the moment, but we'll see if that changes by the end of the month.

(goodreads.com)

    Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes is a fantasy series I've heard a lot of great things about.  It's been on my TBR shelf for awhile and now that I have access to it through the library I work at, I can finally read it!  This first book introduces the reader to the three kingdoms of Mytica and their struggle to keep the peace between their realms.  Four very different people in each of the kingdoms become intertwined in the fate of the ruined world.  I think the idea of telling the same story from four different perspectives seems interesting and I've liked other books that have done that as well, so I have high hopes for this one!

(goodreads.com)

    Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor just seems like a wild ride!  This is another books I've heard a lot of great things about and the last book in this series came out last year, so I'm looking forward to starting it fresh.  This is also another story about demons and angels I guess, which perked my interest, considering my current obsession with Shadowhunters.  This story takes place in Prague and follows Karou, a budding art student with bright blue hair who gets involved with the wrong sort.  Akiva, a haunted but beautiful soul, will no doubt change Karou's life forever.  The synopsis on the book doesn't really give much away, but I kind of like that because I have no idea what this book is really about other than from what I've heard from other people who've read it already.  Really excited to pick this one up!

(goodreads.com)

    Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan is the first book in Riordan's new middle grade series, which came out last fall.  I am one of those people who've never read Percy Jackson, but what drew me to this particular book was the tie in with vikings and Norse mythology, which is very interesting to me, and the fact that the book takes place partially in Boston, which is my home city.  I recently picked up this book while I was at work and just leafed through all the titles of the chapters and I DIED LAUGHING.  I can't wait to read this and I can't wait it's taken me this long to put it on my TBR.  THAT COVER THOUGH.

(goodreads.com)

   Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare, because I really haven't gotten enough of this series and I'm TRYING to prepare myself for the SHADOWHUNTERS premiere in A WEEK GUYS.  IT'S OFFICIALLY A WEEK AWAY!!  If you still, for some reason, haven't read my synopsis or review of this book already, click the link here or forever hold your peace.  Still keeping track and posting the funniest quotes I find from the books, so hit me up on Instagram to check it out!  I'll be compiling a huge list and posting it to here, maybe this month, once I'm finished gathering the funniest quotes I can find.  Stay tuned!

    There you have it, my  condensed TBR for January.  I feel sad that I can't read as much as I could over the summer, but it will only get more difficult when I start classes at the end of the month.  I'm also trying to pay attention to what I want to read versus what I'm forcing myself to read, hence why I may abort that first book to make room for others.  Always follow your reading instincts!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

My Christmas Book List

    Hey everyone!  Sorry about flaking out again last Thursday, but it's been an adjustment working around my new work schedule.  I've also been feeling a tad under the weather, so I've been doing my best to give myself more opportunities to rest and take care of myself so that I don't have a repeat of last Christmas, (when my husband had to physically carry me down the stairs).  Here's to hoping!  I wanted to give you guys a look at the books I'm asking for for Christmas this year.  Obviously the illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Mortal Instruments/The Infernal Devices, the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses are all on there, but I wanted to highlight some of the stand-alone novels or ones that have caught my eye but haven't gotten a chance to talk about yet.

(goodreads.com)

    The Night Circus was one of the best adult novels I read this year.  Plus, LOOK at the gorgeous cover art!  If you'd like to read my review of this book, check out my November wrap-up here.  I loved the story and premise and I adored all the characters.  It was truly an enchanting book and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys the concept of magic and romance.

(goodreads.com)

    The Mime Order is another adult book I'd like to add to my collection.  I already own The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon, which I enjoyed thoroughly.  I read this one all the way back in August, so to check out that review, go here.  The third, (and final?), book in this series doesn't come out until November of next year, so I have to wait almost an entire year to finish it...oh well.  It's a fantastic read for anyone who enjoys a London setting, Dystopian literature or alien-centric fiction.

(goodreads.com)

    The Red Queen is a newer YA book on my list.  I didn't know how I felt about it at first, even though I gave it 4 out of 5 stars when I read it back in September, (to read my short review, click here).  This book started off slow for me, but I still feel a connection with the characters.  I've been very into court and medieval-style or regressed society books lately, anything with a castle and kingdom, (or queendom), so if you're into that, or supernatural/magical elements, you'd like this book.  I almost never give up on a series after the first book and I'm actually looking forward to The Glass Sword, book two in this series, which comes out in February next year.

(goodreads.com)

    Tangled Webs by Lee Bross caught my eye at the bookstore actually.  The picture of this cover doesn't do it any justice whatsoever.  It's bright and obnoxious and I LOVE IT.  After I stopped ogling the cover art, I checked the inside flap to see what this book was about and it intrigued me. It's set in 1725 London, which is already right up my alley, and follows a woman named Lady A, who is apparently a professional blackmailer.  It has betrayal, crime lords and romance, so what more could you want?  It's gotten mixed reviews, but I feel like I'd like this book.  Check it out if you haven't already!

(goodreads.com)

    Another book that caught my eye at the bookstore because of it's GORGEOUS cover is Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman.  Again, the picture doesn't do it justice.  This book appears to be a Western, which is definitely not a genre I go for.  In fact, I hate the south, truthfully.  However, I do enjoy a good historical fiction, even if it's mostly fiction and set in the dust bowl era.  Kate Thompson is looking for revenge for her father's murder and travels across the plains in disguise to get it.  This book just looks fun and adventurous, so I'd read it just based on the cover art.  If you're into Westerns and strong female leads, go check this one out!

(goodreads.com)

    The Sword of Summer is the first book in a new series by Rick Riordan called Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard.  It is the only middle grade book on my Christmas list and again has a gorgeous cover, (do you see a theme here?).  I'm going to confess that I have never read the Percy Jackson series, (please don't kill me), but this new series got my attention because of the Norse influence.  I'm on a viking kick at the moment and my husband just published his first comic book about a re-imagining of the Odin mythology, so Norse myth sounds really interesting to me.  Also, Magnus is apparently from Boston, which is my home city, so OBVIOUSLY I'm going to want to read it!  This looks to be the beginning of a great new series from Riordan, so I hope I can start it soon!

    There you have it!  Those are the books on my Christmas list.  Let me know in the comments if you've already read some of these or if they're on your list too!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.