Year: 2019

Review: The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4)

Title: The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love’s death. She doesn’t believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. 

Review:

I liked this conclusion to the Raven Cycle series.

This story felt different from the rest of the series. It was a lot darker than the other books. The other stories had more dreams, but in this one they turned into nightmares. Some parts were very dark and descriptive, and leaning towards horror.

I was a little disappointed with the way Blue’s and Gansey’s prophesy ended in the story. I won’t give it away for those who haven’t read it, but I think it was kind of rushed.

After that ending, I’m so curious to see what happens in the spin off series about Ronan!

What to read next:

Opal (The Raven Cycle #4.5) by Maggie Stiefvater

Call Down the Hawk (Dreamer #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Have you read The Raven King? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – November 6

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 The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #3) by Holly Black. The expected publication date is November 19, 2019.

Goodreads Synopsis:

He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne. 

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power. 

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics. 

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity… 

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes the highly anticipated and jaw-dropping finale to The Folk of the Air trilogy. 

What books are you waiting on this week?

Review: Our Big Little Place

Title: Our Big Little Place
Author: James A. Conan, Nicolle Lalonde
Genre: Children’s
Publisher: Annick Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Big or small, apartment or house, they’re all home.

Come inside one boy’s high-rise apartment complex, where his backyard is the space between his neighboring apartment buildings, and his basketball net is tucked into a bedroom. His parents sometimes complain their home is too small, but the boy’s balcony view of the city and the extended play space of the hallways are a few ways that make the boy’s house feel just the right size.

Our Big Little Place is a charming child’s-eye-view tribute to the power of imaginative play and the diversity of the living spaces we call home.

Review:

This is an adorable children’s book about a boy who lives in an apartment.

The little boy in this story lives in an apartment building. His parents think their home is too small, but he has never known anything different so he loves it. Since he’s small, it is just the right size for him. He is able to use his imagination to turn their living room into different things, like a pirate ship.

It was so cute to see this home from the boy’s perspective. He saw things differently from his parents. While they wanted more space, he liked that his friends lived down the hall and he had a whole park as his backyard. I loved that he lived in an apartment because most children’s books show kids who live in houses, even though many children live in apartments.

I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you Annick Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Alligator Baby by Robert Munsch, Michael Martchenko

Have you read Our Big Little Place? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Give Off Autumn Vibes

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 That Give Off Autumn Vibes. Here’s my list:

1. The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

2. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

3. Love and Other Curses by Michael Thomas Ford

4. The Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

5. The Dark Beneath the Ice by Amelinda Bérubé

6. Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica by Paul Dini

7. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol. 1: The Crucible by Robert Aguirre-Sacasa, Robert Hack

8. Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin

9. Mooncakes by Wendy Xu, Suzanne Walker

10. Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) by Leigh Bardugo

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

What’s your list of Books That Give Off Autumn Vibes?

Review: The Toll (Arc of the Scythe #3)

Title: The Toll (Arc of the Scythe #3)
Author: Neal Shusterman
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: Indigo Fall Preview
Format: Paperback
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes the thrilling conclusion to the Printz Honor–winning series Arc of a Scythe.

It’s been three years since Rowan and Citra disappeared; since Scythe Goddard came into power; since the Thunderhead closed itself off to everyone but Grayson Tolliver.

In this pulse-pounding conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.

Review:

This was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2019. I was beyond excited to get an ARC of it.

The story started out super slow. It follows the huge events of the last book, where some major characters were potentially killed. I don’t want to give too much away, in case anyone hasn’t read it yet. This story started out following some minor characters from the first two books. I kept waiting to hear from my favourite characters, Citra and Rowan.

I found that the story really picked up halfway through the book. Then, it was really hard to put down. The first half of the book was kind of an introduction to the story. There was necessary information in the first half that was needed to create the huge ending. However, it was very slow paced. I wish some of the events of the two halves of the books were woven together to make the pacing a little steadier.

The ending of the story was one of my favourite endings to a book series ever. I’m so happy with how it ended. The book took a little work to get through, but the ending was worth it!

Thank you Indigo for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Dry by Neal Shusterman, Jarrod Shusterman

The Diabolic (The Diabolic #1) by S.J. Kincaid

Have you read The Toll? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – November 4

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 Toll (Arc of the Scythe #3) by Neal Shusterman.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live and Intentional Life by Neil Pasricha.

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

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – November 3

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… The Raven King

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 The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love’s death. She doesn’t believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – Books With Snow/Ice in the Title

This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.

This week’s prompt is Books With Snow/Ice in the Title. Here’s my list:

1. Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

2. The Dark Beneath the Ice by Amelinda Bérubé

3. Cold as Ice (Whatever After #6) by Sarah Mlynowski

4. Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle

5. Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige

6. A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6) by Diana Gabaldon

Did you write a #SixforSunday post? What was your list of Books With Snow/Ice in the Title?

(All book cover images from Goodreads)

Review: Black Canary: Ignite

Title: Black Canary: Ignite
Author: Meg Cabot, Cara McGee
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel
Publisher: DC Zoom
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 29, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Meg Cabot’s first graphic novel!

Thirteen-year-old Dinah Lance knows exactly what she wants, who she is, and where she’s going. First, she’ll win the battle of the bands with her two best friends, then she’ll join the Gotham City Junior Police Academy so she can solve crimes just like her dad. Who knows, her rock star group of friends may even save the world, but first they’ll need to agree on a band name.

When a mysterious figure keeps getting in the way of Dinah’s goals and threatens her friends and family, she’ll learn more about herself, her mother’s secret past, and navigating the various power chords of life.

Review:

I love that this is Meg Cabot’s first graphic novel! I love her writing, and I could really hear her voice in this story.

Dinah is a unique character. She has superpowers, which are kind of hard to figure out. She has a powerful voice that can break things, like glass. I loved the part where her parents are told she might have superpowers, and they are glad to hear it. Usually, parents are called in to speak to the principal because of a behavioural problem, but Dinah’s parents were excited that she had superpowers.

This book felt like an introduction to the character. I think Dinah’s story could have been longer. Her parents and friends played a very minor role in the story, which could be expanded into more stories. I don’t think this book is part of a series, but it should be. I wish there was going to be more to the story because I would love to read more.

I really enjoyed this new graphic novel!

What to read next:

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia, Gabriel Picolo

Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki, Steve Pugh

Have you read Black Canary: Ignite? What did you think of it?