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?

Six for Sunday – Characters I’d Love To Go On a Date With

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 Characters I’d Love To Go On a Date With:

1. Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

2. Prince Kai (Cinder by Marissa Meyer)

3. Jesse de Silva (Shadowland by Meg Cabot)

4. Noah Shaw (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin)

5. Peter Kavinsky (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

6. Michael Moscovitz (The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot)

Did you write a #SixforSunday post? What was your list of Characters You’d Love To Go On a Date With?

Review: Yes, I’m Hot in This: The Hilarious Truth about Life in a Hijab

Title: Yes, I’m Hot in This: The Hilarious Truth about Life in a Hijab
Author: Huda Fahmy
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Adams Media
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: December 11, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Popular Instagram cartoonist and Muslim-American Huda Fahmy presents a hilarious, relatable, and painfully honest new collection of comics that break down barriers and show how universal our everyday problems, worries, and joys actually are. 

At some point in our lives, we’ve all felt a little out of place. Huda Fahmy has found it’s a little more difficult to fade into the crowd when wearing a hijab.

In Yes, I’m Hot in This, Huda navigates the sometimes-rocky waters of life from the unique perspective of a Muslim-American woman, breaking down misconceptions of her culture one comic at a time. From recounting the many questions she gets about her hijab every day (yes, she does have hair) and explaining how she runs in an abaya (just fine, thank you) to dealing with misconceptions about Muslims, Yes, I’m Hot in This tackles universal feelings from an point of view we don’t hear from nearly enough.

Every one of us have experienced love, misunderstanding, anger, and a deep desire for pizza. In Yes, I’m Hot in This, Huda’s clever comics demonstrate humor’s ability to bring us together, no matter how different we may appear on the surface.

Review:

This is a hilarious comic collection! It is both entertaining and informative.

Huda shows many of the misconceptions that people have about Muslims in this story. People constantly as her if she’s hot in her hijab (Spoiler: She is hot). They also think she’s wearing it against her will, but she chooses to wear it.

There was also a lot of humour in the story. Huda shows how different movies could be with her in them. She places herself in movies such as Harry Potter (where Umbridge sends her for a secondary inspection), Scarface (which she renames Scarfieface), and American Horror Story (renamed to Hijabi Horror Story). These movies show how little Muslims are represented in pop culture.

I grew up in an area of Toronto with many Muslims. I could relate to many of the things she said of this book because many of my friends were Muslim while I was growing up. It’s amazing how people can ask so many ignorant questions, just because of something she wears on her head. I hope this book can change the way people see Muslims.

What to read next:

Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Andersen

Have you read Yes, I’m Hot in This? What did you think of it?

Stacking the Shelves – February 16

This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I bought one book at Indigo:

World of Warcraft: Traveler (Traveler #1) by Greg Weisman

I was approved for one book from Harlequin TEEN:

King of Fools (The Shadow Game #2) by Amanda Foody

Thank you Harlequin TEEN for this book!

What books did you get this week?

Review: Corpse and Crown (Cadaver and Queen #2)

Title: Corpse and Crown (Cadaver and Queen #2)
Author: Alisa Kwitney
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 12, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Oliver Twist gets a fresh take in this reimagining of the Dickensian classic taking the familiar characters and turning them on their heads in a historical thriller packed with weird science, political suspense, and steamy romance, perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco’s Stalking Jack the Ripper and Marissa Meyer’s Cinder.

From Alisa Kwitney comes a connected novel set in the same alternative Victorian England of Cadaver & Queen. Corpse & Crownfollows the story of Agatha DeLacey, an Ingold nursing student who travels to London and uncovers a devastating secret about the country’s Bio-Mechanicals. Inspired by the classic story of Oliver Twist and complete with a dashing Artful Dodger-inspired male lead, this retelling is a satisfying follow-up to Kwitney’s clever and critically acclaimed young adult debut.

Review:

This is a fun series! It is set in Victorian times, with science fiction themes.

The first book in the story, Cadaver and Queen, is an adaptation of Frankenstein. This story is an adaptation of Oliver Twist. I actually haven’t read either of those books, so I’m not sure how much of the original story is included, though the characters are there.

There are a lot of medical scenes because it is set in a hospital. I’m quite squeamish, but I was able to get through those scenes. There were some blood and surgeries involved. However, these scenes were limited so I was able to enjoy the story.

The biomechanicals in this story are corpses who have been turned into machines by attaching different body parts. An interesting aspect of these creatures is that they can continue to experience the lives and memories of the donor. This was similar to the phantom limb syndrome, which is when a person can still feel their limbs after they have been amputated.

I really enjoyed this book!

What to read next:

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings #1) by Mackenzi Lee

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Have you read Corpse and Crown? What did you think of it?

First Lines Friday – February 15

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:

“I like to save things. Not important things like whales or people or the environment. Silly things. Porcelain bells, the kind you get at souvenir shops. Cookie cutters you’ll never use, because who needs a cookie in the shape of a foot? Ribbons for my hair. Love letters. Of all the things I save, I guess you could say my love letters are my most prized possession. “

Do you recognize these first lines?

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And the book is… To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #1) by Jenny Han.

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Goodreads synopsis:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

Have you read To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before? What did you think of it?

Review: Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1)

Title: Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1)
Author: Jen Calonita
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: March 3, 2015
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Would you send a villain to do a hero’s job? An exciting new twisted fairy tale series from award-winning author Jen Calonita.

Full of regret, Cinderella’s wicked stepmother, Flora, has founded the Fairy Tale Reform School with the mission of turning the wicked and criminally mischievous into upstanding members of Enchantasia.

Impish, sassy 12-year-old Gilly has a history of petty theft and she’s not too sorry about it. When she lifts a hair clip, she gets tossed in reform school-for at least three months. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there’s more to this school than its sweet mission. There’s a battle brewing and she starts to wonder: can a villain really change?

Review:

I love fairy tale retellings! There are so many great middle grade series about fairy tales these days. After reading Misfits, which is set in the same world as this series, I wanted to check out Jen Calonita’s other fairy tale books.

In this book, Gillian, a cobbler’s daughter, is sent to the Fairy Tale Reform School after being caught stealing. The school is meant to reform kids in the fairy tale school. It is run by Flora, who was Cinderella’s stepmother. The teachers are reformed villains, such as the Big Bad Wolf, the Sea Witch, and the Evil Queen.

This story was very fast paced. There was lots happening in the story. Since there were so many villains, it was hard to know who to trust. It made the story more exciting, because it was unpredictable.

I really enjoyed this story! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

What to read next:

Charmed (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) by Jen Calonita

Misfits (Royal Academy Rebels #1) by Jen Calonita

Have you read Flunked? What did you think of it?