Month: February 2021

Sundays in Bed With… Clockwork Angel

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 Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length…everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world…and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – Books With Red Covers

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 Red Covers. Here’s my list:

1. Fight Like a Girl by Sheena Kamal

2. Fangs by Sarah Andersen

3. Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

4. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

5. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

6. The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson

(All book covers from Goodreads)

Did you make a Six for Sunday list?

Review: Make Up Break Up

Title: Make Up Break Up
Author: Lily Menon
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 2, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Love, romance, second chances, fairy-tale endings…these are the things Annika Dev believes in. Her app, Make Up, has been called the “Google Translate for failing relationships.” 

High efficiency break-ups, flashy start-ups, penthouses, fast cars…these are the things Hudson Craft believes in. His app, Break Up, is known as the “Uber for break-ups.” It’s wildly successful—and anathema to Annika’s life philosophy.

Which wouldn’t be a problem if they’d gone their separate ways after that summer fling in Las Vegas, never to see each other again. Unfortunately for Annika, Hudson’s moving not just into her office building, but into the office right next to hers. And he’ll be competing at the prestigious EPIC investment pitch contest: A contest Annika needs to win if she wants to keep Make Up afloat. As if it’s not bad enough seeing his irritatingly perfect face on magazine covers when her own business is failing. As if knowing he stole her idea and twisted it into something vile—and monumentally more successful—didn’t already make her stomach churn.

As the two rival app developers clash again and again—and again—Annika finds herself drawn into Hudson Craft’s fast-paced, high velocity, utterly shallow world. Only, from up close, he doesn’t seem all that shallow. Could it be that everything she thought about Hudson is completely wrong? Could the creator of Break Up teach her what true love’s really about?

Review:

Annika Dev is developing an app called Make Up, which will study conversations between partners and show them how to fix their relationships. Hudson Craft moves into the office down the hall from her. His app is called Break Up, which is a service that will send someone to your partner to break up with them for you. Hudson and Annika had a spontaneous fling in Vegas in the previous summer. She told him about her idea for an app and then he stole her idea to make an app to break people up. Now, they’re not only neighbors but they’re also competing for an investment that Annika needs to save her company from bankruptcy. They have to figure out how to put their differences behind them to create successful businesses.

‘Hate to love’ is one of my favourite romance tropes. There was a lot of tension between Annika and Hudson right from the beginning. Annika had strong feelings against Hudson immediately. I wasn’t sure why she hated him so much, and the complete details of what happened between them wasn’t revealed until the final pages. Her feelings would have made more sense if their first encounter was described earlier in the story.

The final quarter of the story was very intense and emotional. There were very high, exciting parts and some low, devastating parts as well. The plot became much more solid as it progressed. There were some things that were revealed in the final parts, such as the details of Annika and Hudson’s first encounter, which would have been better if they were revealed at the beginning.

This was a good ‘hate to love’ romance. I’m looking forward to reading Lily Menon’s next romances!

Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

How to Hack a Heartbreak by Kristin Rockaway

Loathe at First Sight by Suzanne Park

Have you read Make Up Break Up? What did you think of it?

Top 5 Saturday – Royalty in the Title

This is a weekly meme hosted Devouring Books. This week’s prompt is Royalty in the Title. Here’s my list:

1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

2. The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

3. King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

4. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

5. Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody

(All book covers from Goodreads)

If you’d like to do this list too, consider yourself tagged!

Did you make a Top 5 Saturday list?

Review: City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3)

Title: City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 24, 2009
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

To save her mother’s life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters — never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and her best friend, Simon, has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family’s past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he’s willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City — whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling The Mortal Instruments.

Review:

Clary, Jace, and the Lightwoods have to travel to the City of Glass, the home of the Shadowhunters, for an urgent meeting following the events of the last book. At the last minute, Jace changes the plans, and tells Clary’s friend Simon to keep her at home while they go there. They are suddenly attacked, which leads them to bring Simon, a Downworlder who isn’t allowed in the City, through the portal with them, leaving Clary behind. Clary tries to sneak into the city, but it isn’t easy to do. Meanwhile, Simon is thrown into prison for illegally entering the city. All of the Shadowhunters are brought together in their battle against Valentine, and they have to decide if they can work with the Downworlders to finally defeat him.

This was such a fast paced story. It was set during just a couple of days, which is hard to believe when so much happened. I don’t want to give away any spoilers for the series, but there were two characters who were falling in love with each other, but then they discovered that they were related. Somehow, I was still rooting for these two to be together, even though they were related. I usually wouldn’t want characters who were related to be together but I loved seeing them as a couple. I was glad that in this story, they figured out a way to fix this problem.

The one good thing about entering the Shadowhunters series this late is that there are so many books in this series and all of the spin off series. I’m really looking forward to starting a new trilogy set in this world before returning to The Mortal Instruments.

This was such a good story!

What to read next:

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4) by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Other books in the series:

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

First Lines Friday – February 5

This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words, where you give the first few lines of a book to hook your readers before introducing the book.

Here are my first lines:

“‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ the bouncer said, folding his arms across his massive chest. He stared down at the boy in the red zip-up jacket and shook his shaved head.”

Do you recognize these first lines?

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And the book is… City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare.

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Goodreads synopsis:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…

Check out my review for City of Bones here.

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

Review: In Love and Pajamas: A Collection of Comics about Being Yourself Together

Title: In Love and Pajamas: A Collection of Comics about Being Yourself Together
Author: Catana Chetwynd
Genre: Comics, Humor
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 2, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Snug and the bestselling Little Moments of Love comes an all-new collection, In Love & Pajamas by Catana Chetwynd of Catana Comics!  

When you’ve reached that sweatpants-wearing cozy place in your relationship, it’s all In Love & Pajamas!  This brand-new collection of Catana Comics presents some fan favorites and half of the book features never-before-seen comics that delight and amuse readers of all ages.  Wholesome, sweet, feel-good humor!

Review:

This is a collection of comics about being comfortable with your partner. Catana and her husband John spend lots of time together at home and in their pajamas in these comics. Each page had a different short comic with the theme of love.

These comics were relatable regardless of the reader’s relationship status. They talked a lot about wanting to stay cozy in bed. I could relate to the comics about being short, including all the things you need help with reaching. There were even some cute ones featuring their dog.

These comics about wanting to stay home in pajamas are very relatable right now since most of us are spending more time at home than ever before. Even if you don’t have a partner, the feeling of love and comfort can be relatable to any reader.

This is a cute comic collection!

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Snug: A Collection of Comics about Dating Your Best Friend by Catana Chetwynd

Candy Hearts by Tommy Siegel

Have you read In Love and Pajamas? What did you think of it?

TBR Thursday – February 4

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 Lore by Alexandra Bracken.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Minds comes a sweepingly ambitious, high-octane tale of power, destiny, love and redemption.

Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family’s sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory. For years she’s pushed away any thought of revenge against the man–now a god–responsible for their deaths.

Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.

The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore’s decision to bind her fate to Athena’s and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost–and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.

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

Blog Tour Review: This Golden Flame

Title: This Golden Flame
Author: Emily Victoria
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 2, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Orphaned and forced to serve her country’s ruling group of scribes, Karis wants nothing more than to find her brother, long ago shipped away. But family bonds don’t matter to the Scriptorium, whose sole focus is unlocking the magic of an ancient automaton army.

In her search for her brother, Karis does the seemingly impossible—she awakens a hidden automaton. Intelligent, with a conscience of his own, Alix has no idea why he was made. Or why his father—their nation’s greatest traitor—once tried to destroy the automatons.

Suddenly, the Scriptorium isn’t just trying to control Karis; it’s hunting her. Together with Alix, Karis must find her brother…and the secret that’s held her country in its power for centuries.

Review:

Karis is an orphan who is learning to be a scribe in the Scriptorium, a group who are searching for the secret to unlock the magic of the automatons. When she was sent to that island after being orphaned, she was separated from her older brother. Now, seven years later, she will do anything to find him. One day, she finds a cave with an automaton inside, and she accidentally awakens it. The automaton is an intelligent creature named Alix. His final memories are from two hundred years in the past, and his father is now remembered as a traitor. Karis now has something the Scriptorium wants: Alix. She runs away with Alix, and her friend Dane, to find her brother and learn the secrets of Alix’s existence.

This story was set in a unique world. Many aspects seemed ancient, with the scribes and the old buildings with columns. At the same time, there were some futuristic aspects, such as the automatons. The automatons, that could come to life, were powered by runes, so even they seemed like a mix of ancient and future.

This was an own voices story with an asexual main character. This wasn’t a major part of the story, but Karis mentioned it a couple of times. Karis felt different from everyone else, and she had never even seen anyone kiss until the end of the book. I liked that this was part of her character but it wasn’t treated as an entire plot point in the story. I also liked that this was a fantasy story that didn’t have a romance for the main character. She had other important, meaningful relationships that didn’t involve a romantic partner. It’s important to have all kinds of representation in all genres of stories.

This was a great fantasy story!

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

What to read next:

Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell

Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen

About the author:

Emily Victoria lives on the Canadian prairies with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, works at her public library, and has just finished her Masters of Library and Information Studies.

Have you read This Golden Flame? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – February 3

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 Rule of Wolves (King of Scars #2) by Leigh Bardugo. The expected publication date is March 30, 2021.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The Grishaverse will be coming to Netflix soon with Shadow and Bone, an original series!

The wolves are circling and a young king will face his greatest challenge in the explosive finale of the instant #1 New York Times-bestselling King of Scars Duology.

The Demon King. As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm—and even the monster within—to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible. 

The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost.

The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart.

King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.

What books are you waiting on this week?