Month: July 2018

TBR Thursday – July 12

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TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.

My pick this week is Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

I can’t wait to read this book! I’m finally caught up on the Grisha verse so I can read it soon!

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Review: Fawkes

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Title: Fawkes
Author: Nadine Brandes
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Release Date: July 10, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England.

Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death.

But what if death finds him first?

Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in.

The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King.

The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.

No matter Thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.

Review:

This story has a strange mix of true history and fantasy. Some of the events and characters were real. Guy Fawkes did take part in a gun powder plot to kill King James. But, in reality, there were no Keepers and Igniters who could control colour. There is even a different kind of plague in this story. This one turns a body to stone, rather than making someone sick. It was sometimes hard to keep track of what was real and what was fiction.

The war between Keepers (the people who only controlled one colour) and the Igniters (the people who controlled more that one colour) resembled the fight between Protestants and Catholics. They use the same information, in this case controlling colours, in different ways. Racial issues also came up multiple times in the story. Unfortunately, this separation of religions and races is still prevalent today, just as in the 17th century.

This book was good. I liked the way it rewrote history, with a fantasy twist.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – July 11

This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.

The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is Giant Days by Non Pratt.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Based on the hit graphic-novel series from BOOM! Studios, the publisher behind Lumberjanes, Giant Days follows the hilarious and heartfelt misadventures of three university first-years: Daisy, the innocent home-schooled girl; Susan, the sardonic wit; and Esther, the vivacious drama queen. While the girls seem very different, they become fast friends during their first week of university. And it’s a good thing they do, because in the giant adventure that is college, a friend who has your back is key–something Daisy discovers when she gets a little too involved in her extracurricular club, the Yogic Brethren of Zoise. When she starts acting strange and life around campus gets even stranger (missing students, secret handshakes, monogrammed robes everywhere . . .), Esther and Susan decide it’s up to them to investigate the weirdness and save their friend.

I love the Giant Days graphic novels so I can’t wait to see what happens in the novel!

What books are you waiting on this week?

BookCon 2018 – My first time!

Last month, I went to BookCon for the very first time! I absolutely loved it!

It was a little overwhelming at first, because there was so much to do! I went both days, so I was able to go to most of the things that I missed the second day. One thing that was helpful was the guide that was provided. On the second day, we were all given a little magazine that listed all of the highlights and giveaways for the day! It was a huge help and I was able to plan my day that way. I wish something like that had been provided on the first day as well, rather than just the program which listed the exhibits and authors.

I saw the lovely Sandhya Menon on the exhibit floor, so I stopped to speak to her. She’s amazing and I just love her books!

The only autographing session I was able to sign up for was Leigh Bardugo. I love her books so much! She’s an amazing writer. It was such a pleasure to meet her!

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This is one of the shirts I bought. I also purchased the BookCon 2018 shirt with my tickets, but I couldn’t resist this tank!

I didn’t take as many photos the second day, but here’s one of my favourites. My best friend, Marsilda, came with me on the second day (my mom went with me on the first), and we had to get a photo with Peppa Pig! It was a fun moment for us.

And finally, here’s my book haul. I got 22 books in total. My goal for this trip was to get as many free books as possible. I didn’t realize, at first, that I would have to get into long lines for the special ARCs, so I didn’t the highly anticipated books that I wanted. However, I did get a bunch signed by authors on the floor including two books from Quirk Books. I also got the coveted sample of King of Scars!

Overall, it was a great experience. I’m not sure if I’m going next year, but I’m glad I went.

Did you go to BookCon this year or in the past? What did you think of it?

Review: Morning Glories, Vol. 1: For a Better Future

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Title: Morning Glories, Vol. 1: For a Better Future
Author: Nick Spencer
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Image Comics
Source: Library
Release Date: February 16, 2011
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Morning Glory Academy

One of the most prestigious prep schools in the country…But behind it’s hallowed doors something sinister and deadly lurks. When six brilliant but troubled new students arrive, they find themselves trapped and desperately seeking answers…and escape from a place where nothing is what it seems to be!

Review:

This graphic novel is part teen thriller, part horror. I made the mistake of reading it before bed one night and I couldn’t sleep because there are some particularly gruesome scenes at the beginning, and also because I wanted to see what would happen next.

This first volume set up some potential storylines that could make the rest of the series very exciting. There is a strange connection between all of the new students, because they were all born on the same day. There is also a connection between a Spanish prison in the 15th century and their school. I’m curious to see how these plots develop.

There were some very bloody horror scenes, which I almost had to look away from. One reason why these scenes were disturbing was because the graphics were so good. The images were realistic, so it looked like these things were really happening.

I enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to find out what happens after the cliffhanger at the end. Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – Best Books I’ve Read in 2018 (so far)

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Best Books I’ve Read in 2018 (so far). For this list, I only included books that were published in 2018. Here’s my list:

1. Save the Date by Morgan Matson

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2. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

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3. Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier

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4. Zombie Abbey by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

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5. The Window by Amelia Brunskill

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6. The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross

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7. The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

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8. S.T.A.G.S. by M.A. Bennett

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9. American Panda by Gloria Chao

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10. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

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(All photos taken from Goodreads)

 

FIFA World Cup Book Tag

Thank you to Catherine @ This One is For The Books for tagging me in this!  This tag was created by Rendz @ Reading with Rendz Here we go!

Rules!

  • Link back to this post so I can read all your wonderful answers!
  • Answer the questions the best that you can!
  • Tag a few friends at the end to keep this tag going!
  • Have fun!

Time for kick off!!!

Let the Flags Fly

Wave them high and proudly!!! Look at all the fun colours!!!
A Book from your World Cup Competing Country/ the Country that You Want to Win!

My country (Canada) isn’t in the World Cup, so I will cheer for England, who has made it farther than they ever have before!

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My Name is Victoria by Lucy Worsley

I loved this book! It’s about Queen Victoria as a child. I highly recommend it. You can find my review here.

 

It’s The Beautiful Game

Football! Soccer! Beautiful! Whatever you call it!
A book with a pretty cover / A book that features soccer

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King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard

I love the covers of the books in the Red Queen series! Each one has a different crown on it. I hadn’t even realized, until I heard Victoria Aveyard say it at an event, that each crown is made of a different material! This one is made of bone and even has blood dripping from it. You can read my review for this book here.

 

Ferocious Fans

Face paint! Big signs! Lots of noise!
Name a fandom you love being a part of!

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

I’m even wearing my Hogwarts Alumni shirt as I write this post, so I’m a huge part of this fandom!

 

Teamwork! Teamwork! Teamwork!

There is no way one person can win the game!
Name your Favourite Bookish Crew / A Book that has Co-Authors!

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Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The partnership of Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff is amazing in this book! I haven’t read any books by them individually, but this book was incredible. I can’t wait to read the sequel, Gemini. You can find my review for Illuminae here.

 

Ref Blows the Whistle

You either love him or you hate him.
Name a book/character that you mixed feelings towards!

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Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I really liked this book, but it reminded me of so many other YA Fantasy novels. I still want to read the rest of the series one day because I’ve heard good things about it.

 

GGGGOOOAAAALLLL!!!!

Everyone loses their heads and starts yelling at the top of their lungs!
Name your last 5 star read!

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From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

I loved this book! It’s definitely worth all five stars! You can find my review here.

 

The Gold Cup

It’s what we play for.
The Most Coveted/Loved Book On Your Shelf

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The Mediator: Shadowland by Meg Cabot

My copy of The Mediator: Shadowland is falling apart. The spine is completely cracked and the cover is peeling. But it’s so loved. I shared it with at least 4 different friends in middle school, when I started the series. And I have read it many times myself. It’s definitely a well loved book.

 

Since the World Cup is almost over, I won’t tag anyone, but anyone who wants to can do this tag! Link back to my post so I can see your answers!

Review: From Twinkle, with Love

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Title: From Twinkle, with Love
Author: Sandhya Menon
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Release Date: May 22, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

Review:

This is another amazing story from Sandhya Menon! I love how her books are about Indian characters. I love reading novels that feature different cultures, and Memon’s books are extra special.

There were a few moments in this story that reminded me of the book Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda. I also loved that book, so I liked these similarities. Twinkle has a secret admirer who emailed her, just like Simon and his secret crush, Blue. Also, Twinkle went to meet her secret admirer on a ferris wheel at a carnival, just like when Simon met Blue. I’m not sure if these similarities were intentional, but I enjoyed seeing Twinkle have some of the same experiences as Simon.

I loved the way that Twinkle writes to her favourite female filmmakers in her diary. One thing that I noticed right away was that she kept writing to the same women over and over. There are not many female filmmakers, so she didn’t have many to choose from. Hopefully, this book will inspire young girls to follow their dreams and create films, just like Twinkle.

I loved this book! I can’t wait to see what Sandhya Menon writes next!

Have you read this book? What did you think?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – July 9

It's Monday! What Are You Reading

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

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This weekend I finished From Twinkle, with Love by Sandy Menon.

What I’m currently reading:

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I’m currently reading Fawkes by Nadine Brandes.

What I’m reading next:

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Next I will be reading Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – July 8

Here’s my weekly wrap up!

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 5 weekly blogging memes:

I also posted an extract from the novel The Distance:

How was your week? What did you guys read?