WWW Wednesday (6/26/19)

 

Hello, My Lovely Bookworms!

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and is now hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

It consists of answering these three questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

 

Currently Reading:

I decided to pick a book off my shelves. I have had the first two books of this series on it for a year now so I figured its time!

 

 

 

Recently Finished:

I finished this yesterday and I didn’t like it. It was an interesting take on The Little Mermaid and Ursula’s story but yeah, it wasn’t for me.

 

Reading Next:

I have this from NetGalley and since it’s a short read I will most likely start this one. It’ll give me a break from YA!

Twice the Demise: Book Review

 

Title: Twice the Demise
Author: Maureen Joseph
Genre: Gothic Romance

Thank you spotlight.tours and author for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: “Polly Deuce is not your average undertaker. She loves MP3 players and is somewhat a luddite. She lived a non-eventful life in her little goth bubble till her childhood best friend, Michael Nabakov, turned her world upside down. For many years, he had managed to keep his identity and motives under wraps. Polly is caught between her guilt with the familiarity of Michael’s presence and a strange yearning for his dark pursuer.”

My Review:

This book really surprised me and I found myself having a hard time putting it down! The characters didn’t have too much development but I feel that the book was more plot driven than anything. Which, I didn’t mind at all. They were still interesting to read about.

The only issue I had was the writing style. I had a hard time getting into it but since I was enjoying the plot I pushed myself to get past it.

Overall, the plot was dark, intriguing, and that ending was intense! If you are into gothic romance then definitely check this book out!

Friday Favorites: Urban Fantasy Books

 

Hello, fellow bookworms!

Today’s post is a tag that was created by Something of the Book and she has a whole list of Friday Favorites to follow.

Honestly, I haven’t read much Urban Fantasy. I read more as a teen than now. Oh, those vampire days! Let’s just dive in!

1.) A Pack of Blood and Lies (The Boulder Wolves #1)

This is the only Urban Fantasy that I have actually read recently. I guess I need to venture into this sub genre more! I recently just finished the second book in this series and really loved it! I am so excited for the third one to come out.

 

2.) Vampire Kisses

This is one that I loved as a teen and have been rereading as an adult. Although it can be cheesy, I still love it!

 

 

 

That’s it! This list is pretty sad and makes me want to go read more of this genre because I feel bad, ha.

Bloodleaf: Book Review

 

Title: Bloodleaf
Author: Crystal Smith
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars

 
Synopsis: “Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her. But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, and she finds herself succumbing to their call as they expose a nefarious plot that only she can defeat. Will she be forced to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life? ” (Goodreads)
My Review:

I have been having an issue with every book I have picked up recently. It has been putting me in a reading slump and I was hoping this book would take me out of it. I hadn’t heard much about it but thought it sounded interesting and the cover is wonderful. I am so glad I went for it because it turned out to be just what I needed!

Aurelia is a princess and with such a title comes responsibilities. There is another kingdom along the border of where she lives and a wedding is to be taken place between her and their prince. Most books I have read recently with this trope have not been ones I have liked because of the princess’s personality. Aurelia was easy to connect with from the beginning because she knows where her duty lies even when a friend/guard tells her about his feelings. She is honest and doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to dealing with it.

Princess Aurelia is also faced with many obstacles and at times its feels like she is at her breaking point. She does a great job of keeping it together through it all and when duty calls again, even though she wants nothing to do with it due to certain twists, she must dive back in to save her people and her family. Loyalty is a great trait to have and she is filled with it.

When it comes to the other characters, I found myself liking everyone. Most of the time this doesn’t happen. Kellan is one that I found myself liking because he is respectful when it comes to the decisions of others. Zan and Nathaniel are also wonderful male characters because you aren’t really sure where they stand when it comes to sides. They do things that make them criminals but then they also help others. They also have great plot twists!

Besides Aurelia, I really connected with Kate. She is a very motherly person and because I have been the same, even before I became a mother. I loved her background and her relationship with Nathaniel. They are the cutest!

The plot was very intriguing and had me from the beginning! It was easy to get gripped in to because a major plot point happens in the first few chapters. I love the added details about the bloodleaf plant and how significant it is throughout the book. I have also loved reading books with magic lately and this one has blood mages which was another great addition to the story. I felt that there was a lot of magic use which makes me happy. The twists and turns were always ones I wasn’t expecting and made it really hard for me to step away from the book for any period of time. I did finish in a day, so yeah. Haha.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book. I was able to connect with the characters and really become entranced in the story. For a debut novel it was perfect and I can’t wait to see where this series goes!

Reader Problems Book Tag

 

Hello, Fellow Book Lovers!

Today is a great book tag. I have loved doing these and am so excited when I find another to do! I saw LauReads do this one. She has a great blog so definitely check her out.

If you know the original creator to this tag let me know so I can credit them.

You have 20,000 books on your TBR, how do you decide what to read next?
This is like a real life scenario right here! Haha. I always make a monthly list but sometimes I just have a mood where I want to read a specific book, which is usually on my much longer tbr list. So basically, list or mood.

You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you put it down or are you committed?
Always committed! I hate to get partly through a book and then have to dnf it so I just push on! I know most people don’t but I want to be able to write a review for it because maybe someone else will have the same issues as me.

The end of the year is coming and you’re behind on your reading challenge. Do you try to catch up? And if so, how?
I usually go over but if I was in this predicament then I would read so many graphic novels/mangas! Haha. I love reading them anyways and even if they are short, I still count them.

The covers of a series you love do not match, how do you cope?
I just deal with it. There isn’t much I can do about it and I do have a couple series that don’t match but it is what it is.

Everyone and their mother loves a book that you do not. Who do you bond with over your shared feelings?
I usually share my feelings with my sister or husband. Even if they haven’t read the series or don’t share similar feelings, they are great listeners!

You’re reading a book in public and you’re about to start crying. How do you deal?
I try to tell myself not to cry! I don’t want to look like a crazy book reader, which I am. Haha.

The sequel to a book you loved just came out but you’ve forgotten a lot of what happens. Are you going to reread it?
Nope! I just hope for the best and dive right in!

You do not want anyone to borrow your books, how do you politely say no when someone asks?
I just tell them straight up that they are my precious babies and no one is allowed to touch them.

You have picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over this reading slump?
I usually just step away from reading for awhile and try it again when I have a few days away from it all.

There are so many books coming out that you are dying to read. How many do you end up buying?
All of them! Just kidding. Most books I am excited to read but don’t know if I will like, especially if it is a debut novel. I rent from my library for most and buy when it is a new book in a series I have already read.

After  you purchase all of these books that you’re  dying to read, how long do they sit on your shelf before you read them?
Too long. It usually takes months or a year for me to actually read them unless it is in a series I absolutely love.

I tag everyone to do this one! Tag me in it if you do so I can read your answers.

 

Fire & Heist: Book Review

 

Title: Fire & Heist
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Rating: 3 stars

->Click for Synopsis<-

Fire & Heist follows Sky Hawkins and her not so normal life. For starters, she is a were-dragon and that can make normal life complicated. Her families reputation has been tarnished and her mother has disappeared. With the help of her friend and ex-boyfriend, Sky will take on the biggest heist of her life in hopes to get some answers she has been waiting a long time for.

This was a new release book I have seen a few times on Instagram and when I went to the library and saw that they had it I checked it out. I didn’t really have any expectations going into it and I am not even sure if I read the synopsis before starting but it was an interesting read.

When it comes to Sky Hawkins, I am impartial to her. At the beginning she was very annoying as she basically just pined over her ex-boyfriend. She talked about him throughout most of the first third of the book and I am just not a fan of pining. She did eventually get better in the second half of the book but I wouldn’t say I connected with her. The other characters were alright but some of their dialogues felt the same and some of what they said felt very cliche at times.

The plot is what saved the book from being a 2 star. It was a fun take on dragons and it makes sense for them to being doing heists if they love treasures, mainly gold. Although, I felt that there could have been more heists than what was included.

Overall, it was a decent read but I wish there would have been more action and more from the characters in general.

The Lord of the Sabbath (Nation of the Beasts): NetGalley Review

 

Title: The Lord of the Sabbath (Nation of the Beasts)
Author: Mariana Palova
Genre: Adult Fantasy-Paranormal, Horror
Rating: 2 stars
Publication Date: March 5th, 2019

eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley

->Click for Synopsis<-

Since Elisse came to New Orleans from India a storm has been brewing. He left everything behind to find out the truth about his father and leave the creatures that haunt him. He will learn more than he thought in the swamps. Not everything wants him alive and he will have to battle his nightmares to stay alive.

One thing that drew me to this book was the cover. It is absolutely gorgeous. The synopsis also sounded amazing and something up my alley and without much hesitation I decided to request this interesting book. Although I wanted to love this book there were a few things I didn’t like about it that ultimately made me give it a lower rating.

When it comes to Elisse, a little bit was said about his background in the first few chapters since part of the plot is about finding his father in America. Throughout the rest of the book he just felt really flat and nothing interested me about him and so I lacked connection. Throughout his journey in New Orleans, we are introduced to other characters and again, they felt really flat to me. I didn’t connect with one which was a huge bummer!

The plot was interesting and it was nice to see the author add voodoo into the mix since the setting is New Orleans. My one big complaint with the plot is that at times it felt like there was too much being thrown in and it left me confused with why certain events were taking place. The action was also very subtle and it didn’t leave me feeling interested in the fights against the creatures. I also wasn’t a fan of the writing style and that may have contributed to my issues with certain parts of the plot.

Overall, this book just wasn’t a fit for me. I know others will enjoy this book even if I didn’t. If you are into voodoo, Loa gods, and zombies, you should definitely give this book a try!

Arc Review: Manga Classics: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare & Stacy King

Title: Manga Classics: Romeo and Juliet
Author: William Shakespeare & Stacy King
Genre: Manga / Classics
Publication Date: May 15th, 2018
Publisher: Udon Entertainment
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.

“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!” (Goodreads)

This manga is based off of one of the most well known plays written by William Shakespeare called Romeo and Juliet. I love this version because they kept the original text but added gorgeous artwork to this classic. This manga kept me engaged until the very last page. I love how they have taken classics and made such a great manga series out of them. If you have a hard time reading through classics or you just want to reread with stunning artwork, these mangas do not disappoint!

Arc Review: Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne & Stacy King

Title: Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter
Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne & Stacy King
Genre: Manga / Classic
Publication Date: March 18th, 2015
Publisher: Udon Entertainment Manga Classics
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.

“A powerful tale of forbidden love, shame, and revenge comes to life in Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter. Faithfully adapted by Crystal Chan from the original novel, this new edition features stunning artwork by SunNeko Lee (Manga Classics: Les Miserables) which will give old and new readers alike a fresh insight into the Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tragic saga of Puritan America. Manga Classics editions feature classic stories, faithfully adapted and illustrated in manga style, and available in both hardcover and softcover editions. Proudly presented by UDON Entertainment and Morpheus Publishing.” (Goodreads)

This manga is based off the classic book The Scarlet Letter. I have never read the original because of either a long tbr list or just the fact that classic literature can be intimidating. This manga offers a new way to read a classic that keeps you engaged with its wonderful artwork and great storytelling. Not only is the artwork wonderful but when it comes to depicting the emotions of someone it really shines through. They have quite a few other classics in a manga version that I will definitely be checking out! I would highly recommend this so go check it out!

Arc Review: Evenfall by Gaja J. Kos

Title: Evenfall
Author: Gaja J. Kos
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: October 30th, 2018
Publisher: Indie
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.

“A monster does not deserve the intimacy of a name

As if waking up in an unfamiliar world isn’t enough of a surprise, Ember gains a new title to her name. Savior.

Hunted by the Crescent Prince and his lethal shadows, she accepts a young Mage’s help to navigate the land of blood magic and its many illusions. But where Ada sees the good in her power, Ember discovers something else.

An icy darkness, designed to take lives, not save them.

The only thing worse than not being able to rely on her senses—or the reality she had once believed to be true—is knowing that she cannot trust her heart. Especially as it seems to draw her to the one person in whose hands she can never fall…

Will Ember escape the thrall of darkness or will she reign in it?” (Goodreads)

I had high hopes for this book as I had seen many positive reviews. The cover was another thing that sold me. I mean, it is gorgeous! But, the beginning was really slow and it took a lot longer for me to read through since it didn’t grasp me. Although it had a slow beginning, the ending didn’t disappoint!
The main character, Ember, is very relatable and that’s why I rode this book out until the very end. The writer really builds up her characters and the world around them. I will definitely be checking out the second book!