Tag: ya books

Monthly Wrap-Up: November 2019

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Hello everyone! So I as I was writing this post, I realized I totally forgot to write my monthly wrap-up for October. Whoops! I haven’t been as active with writing posts or reviews the past few months because of school which is kind of a bummer. It’s hard watching your blog really grow and make huge strides for the first half of the year and then watching those numbers dwindle away simply because you don’t have enough time for reading and blogging 😔. I’m hoping to catch up on a lot of reading over winter break. I’ll have two weeks off from school and work and I plan to spend most of it relaxing!

42292077._SX318_THESE DIVIDED SHORES: I was one of the few people who enjoyed These Rebel Waves, so I was really looking forward to the sequel. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to thrill me as much as I had been hoping. The plot and characters continued to be well written, but there was just some compelling aspect missing that was present when I was reading These Rebel Waves. But overall it was still a great sequel and conclusion to the series.  ★★★

44046860THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB: I loved this book so much! When I first read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book as soon as it was released. The entire concept of the plot was amazing: in order to fix his marriage, the protagonist enlists the help of his buddies and historical romance novels. Um, YES. From the steamy romance to the adorable twin girls, this was such a cute, heartwarming story and I can’t wait for more from this author.  ★★★★

42771754SUPERNOVA: There was no better finish to this amazing trilogy. A lot happened throughout the pages and the action never stopped! There were definitely a few clever twists placed and the book went in a few directions that I had not been expecting. Also, THAT EPILOGUE. Like, how is no one else talking about that HUGE reveal?! I really hope it means a spin-off or a novella is in the works! This was such a fun, exciting series and I loved reading every minute of it.  ★★★★

43220998._SY475_THE FOUNTAINS OF SILENCE: This is a beautiful story about a period of history that I was wholly unfamiliar with prior to reading this. This is my first book by Ruta Sepetys and I can see where all of her high praise comes from. Set in Spain 1957 following the end of the Spanish Civil War, this was not something I had learned about before and so it was very eye-opening. It blew me away with it’s gorgeous writing, compelling characters, and thought-provoking story.  [review]  ★★★★

26032912._SY475_QUEEN OF NOTHING: The wait for this book was agonizing, but it was totally worth it! It was so great to be back in Faerie with Jude and Cardan and all of the other characters I’ve enjoyed reading about. However, there were a couple of things that left me a tad disappointed. First of all, this book felt really short? Not just page-wise (which was much shorter in length) but also plot-wise it felt kind of rushed. I also missed the angst and tension between Jude and Cardan. Obviously, we needed to get to the love part of a hate-to-love relationship, but it just felt really quick and I would have appreciated a bit more build with the feelings.  ★★★★

40148425._SY475_WINTERWOOD: Shea Ernshaw really excels at writing deliciously atmospheric stories. She does a great job of tying in mystery with magic, and writing it with such beautiful words and descriptions. Because of how The Wicked Deep ended, I spent a majority of the book trying to solve the mystery surrounding Oliver, and I was pleased that I was correct! However, the little plot twist involving Nora and her nightshade took me totally by surprise and I thought it was very well done. The ending to this book was much more satisfying than The Wicked Deep, and therefore I enjoyed the story better!  ★★★

43263331THE BEAST OF BESWICK:  This was a fun story by a new-to-me author! I actually won this book from Bookish First and after I read the excerpt and became totally intrigued by the story! The plot is basically Tessa Dare’s The Duchess Deal meets The Taming of the Shrew. I found Astrid to be a remarkable heroine whose POV I enjoyed reading and I really loved the interactions between her and Thane! I was not disappointed in the slightest by the romance and I will be reading more from this author in the future!  ★★★★ 

OTHER

The ABC Book Challenge – S | WWW Wednesday #23 | Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Fanart, Part II | #ARCstravaganza: Diamond City | The ABC Book Challenge – R | WWW Wednesday #22 | #ARCstravangza: The Nameless Queen | The ABC Book Challenge – Q

WWW Wednesday #23

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words in which the three W’s stand for:

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

43979540WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

Starsight (Starward #2) by Brandon Sanderson

 

 

43263331WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

The Beast of Beswick by Amalie Howard

 

 

44441993WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Fanart, Part II

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Last year, I wrote a post showcasing some of my favorite fanart and it was a huge hit. Since it’s one of my favorite blog posts that I’ve written, I decided to do a sequel and show off ten more of my favorite fanarts! I continue to be amazed by all of these talented artists that bring to life my favorite characters and scenes. 

Melanie Bourgeois →  “Strange the Dreamer”

Melanie is one of the most talented artists I’ve seen, and I’m so thankful we enjoy a lot of the same fandoms so I can enjoy her work even more! It’s no secret that Strange the Dreamer is one of my favorite books, and this spectacular rendering of the opening chapter is breathtaking.

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Luciferys  →  “The Mother”

If I could have a gallery of Sansa prints on my wall, I would. This is another fabulous depiction of my favorite female character and a very poignant aspect of her character. 

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Nicole Deal  →  “Cusp”

THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL. Everytime I look at this fanart I am taken aback by how absolutely gorgeous it is. I wish I could print it out and frame it on my wall.

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Amaati  →  “The Taste of Innocence”

Amaati creates some of the most beautiful ASOIAF artwork that I’ve seen. I debated on whether or not I wanted to include this but #sorrynotsorry I ship Jonsa and this was just too pretty to not post regardless. She has also done an artwork of Robb Stark that is incredible.

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Alexandra Curte  →  “Akiva and Karou”

There is not enough art and swag for the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, and it’s a shame. I instantly fell in love when I saw this rendering of Akiva and Karou. It’s so pretty and whimsical!

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taratjah →  “Helene”

This is such a beautiful drawing of Helene from the An Ember in the Ashes series! The details in this are so stunning and I can’t help but be amazing by the artwork.

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Micheline Ryckman  →  “Legolas”

I didn’t realize it until I saw this work, but we need more Legolas fanart! He has always been one of my favorite fictional characters and I’m so happy to have stumbled upon this artwork. This artist also has a really nice depiction of Aragorn as well.

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Irina Plachkova  →  “The Third Amplifier”

This scene will never not hurt my soul. But I think one of my favorite aspects of this art is in the details. I love the other two amplifiers present in the background and I think it makes this an even more powerful piece of artwork. Not to mention, he’s one of my favorite characters!

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Gabriel Bujdosó  →  “Cardan and Jude”

THIS SCENE. If you know, you know. And since that part of the book nearly destroyed me, how could I not include this amazing artwork of that iconic scene in The Wicked King? I cannot wait for the Queen of Nothing and the many more fanart that is sure to come following its release.

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Lesya BlackBird  →  “Bridge the Divide”

Apparently this was included in an Illumicrate box a while back, so if anyone has this and doesn’t want it I will gladly take it off your hands. Strange the Dreamer is my favorite book so I love looking at any and all the artwork from that series!

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I hope you enjoyed the list! I love looking at fanart so if you have any favorite pieces or artists, let me know in the comments! 

#ARCstravaganza: Diamond City – Francesca Flores

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Happy Monday! #ARCstravaganza is a weekly meme now hosted by Flavia the Bibliophile where readers can show off their wonderful ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) and spread the word about upcoming releases. For more information about this meme and its origins check out this post.

DIAMOND CITY – FRANCESCA FLORES

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ABOUT THE BOOK

41721210Title: Diamond City (Diamond City #1)
Author: Francesca Flores
Release: January 28, 2020

Fierce and ambitious, Aina Solis is as sharp as her blade and as mysterious as the blood magic she protects. After the murder of her parents, Aina takes a job as an assassin to survive and finds a new family in those like her: the unwanted and forgotten.

Her boss is brutal and cold, with a questionable sense of morality, but he provides a place for people with nowhere else to go. And makes sure they stay there.

DIAMOND CITY: built by magic, ruled by tyrants, and in desperate need of saving. It is a world full of dark forces and hidden agendas, old rivalries and lethal new enemies.

To claim a future for herself in a world that doesn’t want her to survive, Aina will have to win a game of murder and conspiracy—and risk losing everything.

REVIEW: The Fountains of Silence – Ruta Sepetys

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43220998._SY475_Title: The Fountains of Silence
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Rating: ★★★★

The Fountains of Silence is a beautiful story about a period of history that I was wholly unfamiliar with prior to reading this. This is my first book by Ruta Sepetys and I can see where all of her high praise comes from. The Fountains of Silence blew me away with it’s gorgeous writing, compelling characters, and thought-provoking story.

The Fountains of Silence is set in Spain 1957 following the end of the Spanish Civil War. This was not a portion of history that I had been familiar with and so it was very eye-opening. Ruta Sepetys did a fantastic job weaving elements of a fictional story with real aspects of history. I was very easily captivated by all of the different plot lines and history lessons.

One of the things about this book I liked the most was the varying points of views. It was especially poignant comparing Daniel’s views as an American tourist to those that were experiencing the effects of Franco’s fascism, such as Ana and Rafa. I think this difference really made point of how things really were in Spain during that time period and how easily the hardships were concealed to the rest of the world.

The Fountains of Silence is a story perfect for fans of historical fiction of any age. The writing was beautiful, the characters were easy to fall in love with, and the story was very moving. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a lovely book to fall into.