Month: February 2019

Review: Romeo and Juliet (Manga Classics)

Title: Romeo and Juliet (Manga Classics)
Author: Stacy King, Crystal S. Chan, William Shakespeare
Genre: Manga
Publisher: Udon Entertainment
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 15, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A classic Shakespearean tragedy, Romeo and Juliet is the tale of two star-crossed young lovers who dare to defy their feuding families, put aside all obstacles, and find happiness together – but at a tremendous cost. This grimly beautiful tale, set in the Renaissance Italy, follows Romeo and Juliet from their hateful first meeting to their last.

Manga Classics ™ brings you this incredible new manga version of William Shakespeare’s most popular play, featuring the unaltered original text in its entirety!

Review:

I love the collection of Manga Classics! I was so excited about the Romeo and Juliet manga because it is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays.

I have fond memories of this play because my class performed it in grade 5. It was the first Shakespeare play I ever read. I can still remember parts of it off by heart.

This was a great adaptation of the play. My favourite part was Juliet’s nurse. She was such a funny and dramatic character. She would ramble on about things without getting to the point. Her character in this story was a large woman who screamed a lot. She was overly dramatic, which added a lot of humour to this tragic story.

This is a great adaptation of Romeo and Juliet!

What to read next:

Pride and Prejudice (Manga Classics) by Stacy King

The Scarlet Letter (Manga Classics) by Stacy King

Have you read Romeo and Juliet (Manga Classics)? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – February 20

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 We Are the Perfect Girl by Ariel Kaplan. The release date is May 21, 2019.

Goodreads Synopsis:

This witty, warm-hearted retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is a love letter to female friendship. Perfect for Stephanie Perkins fans, and anyone who’s ever thought of trying on a new identity to impress a guy. 

Aphra Brown is bold and outgoing. Her best friend, Bethany, is achingly beautiful. Individually, they could both do a little better in the self-esteem department, but together? Together, they have what it takes to win over Greg D’Agostino, a proverbial “ten,” who happens to be fluent in six languages–seven if you count the language of smoldering gazes . . .
What begins as an honest mistake turns into an elaborate deception, wherein Bethany goes on dates with Greg while Aphra coaches her on what to say, and texts him in the guise of Bethany, trying and failing, all the while, to tamp down her own hopeless crush. It’s only a matter of time before things come crashing down. The question is: What will happen when Greg finds out? And can Aphra and Bethany’s friendship survive the fallout? 
From the author of We Regret to Inform You comes a witty, warm-hearted exploration of love in all its forms, and a cris-de-coeur for self-acceptance when the pressure to be perfect is overwhelming.

What books are you waiting on this week?

Top 5 Wednesday – Love Interests You Would Have Broken Up With

This meme is hosted by Lainey from Thoughts on Tomes. The Goodreads Group for Top 5 Wednesday can be found here.

This week’s prompt is Love Interests You Would Have Broken Up With. Here’s my list:

1. Henry (The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin)

2. Reggie (Reggie and Me by Tom DeFalco)

3. Lukas Grey (The Black Witch by Laurie Forest)

4. McGraw (Giant Days by John Allison)

5. Harvey (Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within by Tania del Rio)

Who are the love interests you would have broken up with?

Blogger to Blogger Series: An Interview with Jill @ Jill’s Book Blog

This is my interview for the Blogger to Blogger series with The Reading Chick aka Deborah Kehoe! I love her blog, so you should definitely check it out! Thanks Deborah!

deborahkehoe's avatarThe Reading Chick

I always know when Jill releases a post because in my mind her pink graphic (see pink stripes below) is synonymous with her posts. She alternates between reviews from many genre’s, weekly wrap ups, and commentary. Her voice is articulate, genuine, and exudes a niceness that is emphasized by her pink stripes. It would just be wrong to love pink and write naughty reviews, wouldn’t it? If you haven’t checked out her blog, then please click the link below, but COME BACK! You won’t want to miss her answers to my 10 questions.

Jill @ Jill’s Book Blog

Let’s get to those answers, shall we?

Blogging is universal and even though we inhabit the same community, we don’t always live in the same country. What country do you live in?

I live in Canada.

What is the view outside your front door? 

The view outside my front door is of…

View original post 662 more words

Review: The Black Coats

Title: The Black Coats
Author: Colleen Oakes
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 12, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Roses are read, violets are blue, if you hurt us, we’re coming for you.

The deeply secretive Black Coats have been exacting vengeance on men who hurt girls and women for years. And Thea has just received an invitation to join them. This is the opportunity she’s been waiting for to finally get justice for her cousin Natalie, whose killer went free.

Thea dives head first into the group, training every day with other girls whose stories rival hers. Together they carry out Balancings—acts of revenge guaranteed to teach a lesson. With every predator threatened, every blackmailer exposed, and every date rapist punished, Thea can feel herself getting closer to avenging Natalie’s death.

But then the Balancings begin to escalate in brutality, and Thea discovers that the Black Coats are not all they seem to be. Thea must confront just how far she’s willing to go for justice—and what kind of justice Natalie, and Thea herself, deserve. Because when the line between justice and revenge is razor thin, it’s hard not to get cut.

Review:

I loved this story!

The premise is so intriguing. The idea of women getting revenge on men who have harmed women sounds fair and just. However, there is a cloudy moral area, where you have to determine where their justice ends. Though it should balance out the men’s harm to women, the women could also go too far. I was glad that they addressed this issue later in the book.

The second half of the book was so thrilling! The first part took a lot of time to show how the Black Coats operate and how they complete their Balancings. In the second half of the book, the story took a surprising turn, which was great!

This is a fabulous story that definitely lived up to my expectations!

What to read next:

Come Find Me by Megan Miranda

Queen of Hearts (Queen of Hearts Saga #1) by Colleen Oakes

Have you read The Black Coats? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I LOVED with Fewer than 2,000 Ratings on Goodreads

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 Books I LOVED with Fewer than 2,000 Ratings on Goodreads. This was so interesting to research, because there are so many amazing books which have so few ratings! Here’s my list:

1. The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin (235 Ratings)

2. Snow in Love by Melissa de la Cruz, Nic Stone, Aimee Friedman, Kasie West (1,160 Ratings)

3. This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada (820 Ratings)

4. The Devil’s Thief by Lisa Maxwell (834 Ratings)

5. Kens by Raziel Reid (104 Ratings)

6. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie by Anthony Del Col (303 Ratings)

7. Doctor Who: Myths and Legends by Richard Dinnick (103 Ratings)

8. Zero Repeat Forever by G.S. Prendergast (1,050 Ratings)

9. Canada by Mike Myers (1,708 Ratings)

10. I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson (577 Ratings)

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

Review: Hollow City (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children #2)

Title: Hollow City (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children #2)
Author: Ransom Riggs
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Quirk Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 14, 2014
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerising) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

Review:

This story begins right where the last one ended. It was thrilling right away because the action began immediately.

The kids meet more peculiars in this story. It was a little confusing and difficult to keep track of all of the peculiars because there were so many! It also got a bit overwhelming because there was a lot of drama with the ymbrynes who go missing.

The ending of the story was exciting. It was a great cliffhanger to lead to the next book!

My review for Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children can be found here.

What to read next:

Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children #3) by Ransom Riggs

Have you read Hollow City? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – February 18

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:

This weekend I finished The Black Coats by Colleen Oakes.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1) by Amanda Foody.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading The Matchmaker’s List by Sonya Lalli.

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

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – February 17

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 9 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… Ace of Shades

The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

This Sunday I’m reading Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1) by Amanda Foody.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…and secrets hide in every shadow.

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.

What book are you in bed with today?