Category: Blog

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WWW Wednesday

Hey guys! From now on, I’ll be posting a WWW Wednesday post every 2 weeks, so you’ll know what I’m up to when it comes to reading. I don’t know who created WWW Wednesday, so if you do, please let me know so I can give them credits in my following WWW Wednesday posts!

What I’ve finished reading:

I’m currently doing a re-readalong for the ACOTAR series, organized by the SJM Collectors Community on Facebook! We’re all preparing for the release of A Court of Silver Flames by rereading the whole series, and started A Court of Thorns and Roses in Oktober. It was actually my third reread of the series and now that I noticed the foreshadowing, I loved it even more. ❤

The Skylark’s Song and Subversive were both books I read to review, so you’ll see the reviews soon enough on my blog! In short: I enjoyed both books tremendously and I can’t wait to start their  sequels. I’ll leave the rest of the info for my review posts. 😉

What I’m currently reading:

I’m reading Midnight Sun together with a group of friends, but I haven’t picked it up in a while unfortunately. I’m definitely enjoying it, but I feel like I would have enjoyed it even more if I’d done a reread of the Twilight series before I started it.

Wiving is definitely not my usual genre. The author approached me and I was willing to give it a try. It’s different but I think it’s good for me to read something different for once. Unfortunately, it’s also the reason that I’ve been much slower in reading this book. It’s worth it though, so I’m taking my time to read it thoroughly.

I’ve actually only read the first chapter of How to Break an Evil Curse. I’m not sure if I’m going to keep on reading it now, or give priority to some other books I’ve been dying to read.

Beauty and the Beast is a retelling of, well, Beauty and the Beast. I bought it impulsively for my Kindle as it was on sale and The Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairytale. I’m enjoying the audiobook, but as I started reading the reviews, I noticed that someone classified it under erotica and that the author emphasized that it was an adult retelling. I guess I won’t be listening to it in public.😂

I’ve been reading The Purple Haze for FOREVER, but I had to put it down due to exams. I’m excited to pick it up again this week, because I did really enjoy it. It’s YA fantasy, but incredibly different from other books. It’s funny and witty, whilst still being filled with adventure and mystery.

What I’ll be reading next:

For the Ultimate Blog Tour organized by The Write Reads, I’ll be reading The Cousins! It’s my first book of Karen McManus, despite seeing her books in all book stores nearby.

The Chalice and the Crown has been sitting on my Netgalley shelf for waaaaayy too long. I completely forgot about it, and I might give it priority over How to Break an Evil Curse right now.

A Court of Mist and Fury is the next book for the ACOTAR re-readalong. I’ll be reading it in November, but as it’s in my top 5 of favorite books (to be honest, I don’t even know what the order of my top 5 is), I’ll probably be finishing it before the end of November.

 

Have you read any books on this list? What did you think of it? What are your WWW Wednesday books? Let me know in the comments!

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Review: Crystal Shadows, Gripping New Blood

I received a copy of Crystal Shadows in exchange for an honest review. This didn’t affect my review.

Sarah’s father has always been secretive about her dead grandfather, even though Sarah and her father share a close bond. However, her fathers behavior hasn’t stopped Sarah from asking questions. And when Sarah and her friends start investigating the strange noises from the attic, they come to the shocking discovery that Sarah’s ‘grandfather’ had actually been living in the attic! And they also discover that her grandfather needs them to save the world…

I wanted to like it, I really did. I don’t often read middle grade books, but the premise was incredibly interesting so I took a chance. Unfortunately, as soon as I started reading it, I was lost. The dialogue between the characters wasn’t logical and incredibly hard to follow. I also couldn’t imagine the characters at all because the ways all the characters talked and acted weren’t realistic. First there was a huge revelation, and suddenly Carly Rae Jepsen (I truly don’t know if I spelled her name correctly) was doing a performance during a basketball game? Why is there a performance in the last few pages of the book when there’s so much that still has to be solved?

Furthermore, I missed a lot of world building. Descriptions of the house, of Sarah’s friends, her father, anything that would make it easier to imagine the story. Instead, too many words were used for (I’m so sorry) useless dialogue. It had a negative influence on the flow of the story.

And lastly, the plot. I’m actually not sure if there’s going to be a sequel or not. If there is, this book was building up to it, and in that case this book and the sequel should have been one book. If not, I’m afraid the only real plot that the book thoroughly executed was Sarah finding her grandfather in the attic, which was already spoiled in the blurb of the book. Nothing happened with the amulet that was supposed to help Sarah fight the darkness and there’s too much that still needs to be solved.

The story has real promise, it really does. The book just needs lots of editing. Make the dialogue more realistic and create a better flow in the book. That will give Crystal Shadows a better chance to go to its full potential.

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Ultimate Blog Tour: Catalyst

Hey guys, today I’m doing something different! I read the book Catalyst as part of the blog tour organized by The Write Reads. I’m very grateful to be a part of the tour! Catalyst is the sequel of The Field and can be read as a standalone (in fact, I haven’t read The Field and I had no problems following the story).

Catalyst follows Marcie as she, her brother Eric and his girlfriend Renee join an archaeological dig overseen by Marcies parents. It starts when Marcie and the others arrive at the dig site. There, she meets the other students she will be working with, including Leo and Scott. Marcie also meets the senior graduate assistants Zeke and Lorraine. But Marcie has an odd feeling about Zeke and Lorraine that she can’t place as they work on the dig site…

When one day Marcie, Eric, Renee and Leo follow Zeke and Lorraine on a hike, Marcies feeling is confirmed as Zeke demonstrates how he moves a large rock. With his mind. If that isn’t enough, Zeke and Lorraine ask Marcie and the rest to help them save the world. But can they take on such a big task?

Marcie is a strong lead who stands up for what she believes in and I really respect that. She says what she thinks but she’s also fair to others. Those are characteristics I often miss in books, so I was glad to follow Marcie on her journey!

I did feel however that Marcies love interest fell a little flat. It started off cute and realistic, but I liked him less and less throughout the book. At a certain point in the book, I just wasn’t rooting for them anymore, which was a big let-down for me as I’m a huge romance lover.

I really enjoyed the first three quarters of the book. It was very clear that the author was sending a message to the readers and I appreciate that. But the last quarter of the book was incredibly confusing as it was a lot of information in not enough pages. It think the subject of the last part would have been great for a sequel, but it was too much to fit into this book and make it work.

Catalyst is a fun young adult book with a strong lead. I recommend it to readers who are invested in making the world a better place and to very patient sci-fi lovers, as the sci-fi part comes up later in the book. I enjoyed Catalyst and I really hope you do too!

 

Here’s the official blurb of the book:

Marcie is spending her summer working on the archeological dig that her mother runs: Angel Mounds, a site of an ancient indigenous civilization. Soon after she arrives, she meet some intriguing individuals, and becomes wrapped up in a supernaturally-charged mission to save the planet from the destruction man has brought upon itself.

Marcie Horton has a sixth sense. Not in the “I see dead people” way, but . . . well, maybe a little. She feels a sort of knowing about certain things that can’t be explained-an intuition that goes beyond the normal. Then there was that one summer four years ago, when she connected with a long-departed spirit . . . But nothing that incredible has happened to Marcie since.
This summer, Marcie is spending time working at Angel Mounds, the archeological dig her mother heads, along with her brother, Eric, and his girlfriend, Renee. The dig is the site of an ancient indigenous civilization, and things immediately shift into the paranormal when Marcie and her teammates meet Lorraine and Zeke. The two mysterious dig assistants reveal their abilities to access the Universal Energy Field with their minds-something Marcie knows only vaguely that her brother has also had experience with. Marcie learns how our planet will disintegrate if action is not taken, and she and her team must decide if they are brave enough to help Lorraine and Zeke in their plan to save Mother Earth, her resources, and her history. It looks like the summer just got a lot more interesting.

Get your copy here!

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Behind the Blogger Book Tag

The lovely Nikki Swift Reads tagged me in the Behind the Blogger Book Tag! She has an amazing blog, so go check it out!

Rules:

  • Thank the person who nominated you
  • Answer all the questions down below
  • Pingback to the creator: Ellyn from allonsythornraxx
  • Nominate 5+ bloggers you’d like to know more about, to do this tag

Why did you start blogging? & Why have you kept blogging?

I joined the Facebook group YA Book Stop – YABS to try out reviewing books on Goodreads. That’s when I found out that I really enjoy doing it. Thinking that my opinion didn’t really matter, I didn’t dare to take the plunge and start a blog. Fortunately for me, my friends convinced me otherwise! I started my blog to review books, but when I joined book Twitter, I found out that there are so many other things that I can post as well. I’m currently making a list of blog ideas to use in the future😊

The reason why I kept blogging is the community. I love seeing the support writers, bloggers, booktubers and so many others give each other. It’s a wonderful community and I’m glad to be a part of it.

What is your favorite type of blog post to write?

So far, I’ve only posted reviews and book tags. As I mentioned before, I’m currently making a list of other kinds of posts. It won’t be long before they come!

To answer the question, I’d say book tags. It’s a way to connect with the community and I love seeing what others write!

What are your top three favorite blog posts you wrote?

My three favorite blog posts are all ‘firsts’, so here they are:

What are some of your favorite things to do to relax?

  • Dancing. When I dance, I forget everything that’s on my mind.
  • Being around water. It doesn’t matter if I swim, relax on the beach, sail or go scuba diving, water relaxes me.
  • Horse riding in the forest. Just like dancing, I forget everything that’s on my mind. The forest is beautiful and the steady walk of the horse relaxes me.
  • Last but not least, reading. Do I even have to explain?

What are three of your favorite things?

  • The first snow of the year.
  • Lightning.
  • Cinnabon. I wish we had one nearby😭

What are your proudest blogging moments?

I’d say starting my blog. It took a lot of courage, but I’m glad I did it.

What are your hobbies outside of blogging?

  • Reading.
  • Ballroom and latin dancing.

Describe your personality in three words

  • Naive.
  • Forgiving.
  • Open-minded.

What are your top three pet peeves?

  • Holes in socks.
  • Being blamed when I’m not guilty.
  • People stealing my food. I get annoyed even just thinking about it.

What’s something your followers don’t know about you?

I’m a plant killer. I don’t know how to keep them alive, they just keep dying on me!😭

I Tag:

My apologies if you’ve already been tagged. If you would like doing this tag as well, consider yourself tagged!

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The Stay at Home Book Tag

Hey guys! Holly (The Writing Finch) tagged me in the Stay at Home Book Tag! This super fun tag was created by Princess of Paperback on Youtube and I can’t wait to answer the questions 🥰  If you’d like to do this tag, consider yourself tagged!

1. Laying in bed – a book you read in one day 

The Selection series! I read the whole series in 5 days: one book a day! I enjoyed them tremendously. They are short, easy reads with good world building. The Selection is like The Bachelor with a kick-ass heroine (who is awful at making choices, but that’s my opinion). I think I read the series about three times now, just because the books are so much fun and easy to read. 

2. Snacking – a book that is a ‘guilty pleasure’ read 

Okay. Let me just check my ‘guilty-pleasure’ shelf on Goodreads!
Even though I do really have that shelf, I don’t feel guilty for enjoying specific books and you shouldn’t either. Books are for pleasure (and pain and tears and anger) so everybody should be able to read the books they want without having to feel guilty!

But, to answer the question: the only book that comes close to being a guilty pleasure is After by Anna Todd. It receives a lot of low ratings on Goodreads because people think it glorifies abusive relationships. While I agree that it certainly can have that influence on readers, I personally don’t experience it that way. I know that the relationship of Hardin and Tessa is incredibly abusive, but that’s the fun about books: it isn’t real! I read books to experience things I never would in my real life, to feel with the characters, feel their pain and joy and frustration. That’s why I don’t feel guilty for enjoying After.

3. Netflix – a series that you want to start

Oh God, there are a lot of series that I want to start. I’d say the Arc of a Scythe series by Neal Shusterman. I’ve heard SO many good things about it and I bought the first book about a month ago, so I can’t wait to start!

4. Deep clean – a book that has been on your TBR for ages

Too many. I don’t think you want to see the list. I still have quite a few ARC’s to review, so my physical TBR has to wait a little longer. I think Bloodlines by Richelle Mead will have the most priority as soon as I finish my ARC’s. I enjoyed Vampire Academy a LOT and was so so excited when I heard Adrian Ivashkov will have a bigger role in Bloodlines, but I haven’t gotten around to read it yet.😭

5. Animal Crossing – a book you recently bought because of the hype

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. I haven’t read a lot of SF, and I don’t really feel a pull towards the genre either. But I thought I’d give it a try and bought it. Unfortunately it has been waiting on my TBR shelf along with bloodlines…

6. Productivity – a book you learned from or had an impact on you

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. My wonderful boyfriend gifted it to me because he thinks I give too many f*cks about everything in my life. And it’s true, I actually do. That’s one of the reasons I read so much: to escape reality. Mark Manson really helped me see that it’s okay to not care and choose for myself sometimes.

7. Facetime – a book you were gifted

I think the most recent one is the Waterstones exclusive of House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas, with red sprayed edges.🥰I currently possess three editions of that book! I’m a HUGE fan of Sarah’s books, so I’m completely in love with the Waterstones exclusive.

8. Self care – what is one thing you have done recently to look after yourself

I saw this question and had to think for a few moments. What have I done to look after myself? Not much actually, I’ve been too caught up in all my work for uni. I did start making an Aelin Galathynius funko, so I guess that counts? (I’m still looking for the Bella Swan Wedding Dress funko for Aelins body, so if anyone sells it or knows anything please let me know!).
The question reminded me that I have to look after myself more often. I think I’m going to start with studying in the garden instead of my room more often.

BONUS – An upcoming release you are looking forward to

I think most of the new releases that I was looking forward to, just came out! They are House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas, The Betrothed by Kiera Cass and Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi. I’m mostly looking forward to A Vow so Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer, I can’t wait to read more about Grey!😍

I hope you enjoyed reading my answers to the questions, let me know in the comments what you think!

I tag:
The Bookish Hedgemom
The Daily Sunlight
Lu Reviews Books