Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys!! It is time for another TTT!! This week is freebie week, so I thought I would share with you guys the top ten books I am most looking forward to this year! I didn’t do this at the beginning of the year because I was so ill, so I just thought I would skip out on it, but now I have the chance to show you guys what I am excited to get my hands on! In no particular order, here they are:

10.  A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas – There is obviously a mixed bowl of people who adore Maas and people who despise her… I adore her and, to be honest… I have been hibernating since last may just because I NEED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait to see what the cover is going to look like!

9. Throne of Glass #6 by Sarah J. Maas – Again, Maas… but IT’s THE CONCLUSION AND I NEEDED IT LAST SEPTEMBER *Ahem*

8.  Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth – Unpopular opinion alert! Ive seen the controversy surrounding this book, however, I would like to read it for myself and decide myself whether or not it is really racist or not. I have seen people who have torn this book apart because they believe it is racist and I have seen people stand up for this book because they do not view it as racist. Everyone interprets books differently, so, before anyone decides to hate on me here, I want to have the chance to interpret and decide for myself. Besides, I loved the Divergent series and I can’t wait to read more from this author 🙂

7.  A Bond of Blood and Fire by Karen Tomlinson – So, I absolutely LOVE A Bond of Venom and Magic (YOU SHOULD ALL BE READING THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT IS ALL AMOUNTS OF AWESOME!!!!!!!!) and I literally cannot wait for this book! I have already beta read this book and it was everything I wanted and more! So, I just want a signed copy of this to be sat next to the signed copy of ABOVAM on my shelf where they belong…

6.  Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau – I recently added this to my TBR and I have already seen some really amazing things about this book from the reviews trickling in! I definitely can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!

5. Eternity Fades by Katelyn Anderson – This book doesn’t have a Goodreads page yet, BUT, the author is nearing the end of the writing process!! I absolutely LOVED Everlasting Flame and I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to be getting my mits on this book…

4.  First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy – This sounds really really interesting!!! I want to know EVERYTHING!!

3.  Now I Rise by Kierstin White – I really enjoyed the first book in this series and I cannot wait to see where Lada goes next!

2.  The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell – Ummmmm… Can we just have a look at how awesome this cover is?!? Couple that with the blurb and then try and convince me you guys don’t want this book in your lives!!

1.  We Now Return to Regular Life by Martin Wilson – This book sounds like it could be a really powerful read if done right and I am really looking forward to it!!

So that’s it!! These are just some of the books that I am really excited about getting this year and they all look really awesome!!

Are you guys looking forward to any of these books?? What topic did you guys pick this week? Feel free to drop links and comments and I will check them all out!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Hey guys! It is time for another WoW! This weeks pick is the sequel to a book that I really enjoyed and I cannot wait to follow these characters and find out what happens to them!

Now I Rise by Kierstin White

Expected Publication: June 27th 2017 by Delacorte Press

Lada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.

What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?

As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost.

I really enjoyed And I Darken and I cannot wait to read this instalment in the series!

What books are you guys waiting on? Feel free to let me know in the comments!

The Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

Hey guys! So, I was tagged by Beth @ Reading Every Night for this tag – so thanks for that! So, I guess without further ado, let’s start!

Best Book you’ve Read So Far in 2016:

 Unnatural Deeds by Cyn Balog

 A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Ok, I couldn’t pick one, so it’s a tie! I loved Unnatural Deeds by Cyn Balog (which is being released later this year), and ACOMAF… well, I don’t think there is any explanation necessary!

Best sequel you have read so far in 2016:

 ACOMAF

Yes, this book again! But it truly was beautiful!!

New release you haven’t read yet but want to:

 Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton.

Ok, so, technically this only came out today, but I still need this book in my life!

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year:

 Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas.

I know, Maas again! But seriously, I love this series and I cannot wait to find out what happens next!

Biggest Disappointment:

 Never Never: Part Three by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Ok, this series had an amazing strong start and I was loving everything about it! However, the ending and the explanation given were weak and it ruined everything for me!

Biggest Surprise:

 Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill

I was surprised at how things went down in this book! I was not expecting to feel the emotions I did and so strongly! I think everyone who has read this book will agree, there are literally no words to describe how you feel when reading this book and how you feel when you finish this book! I finished it and I was gob smacked it took me forever to actually write a review because I no idea how to formulate what I was feeling into words! It is that good! If you haven’t read this book… then why the heck not?!?

Favourite New Author (Debut or New to you):

 This is Betsy Schow! She was a new to me author when I read her book Spelled and I loved it! I was snorting and earning weird looks from my dad, but it was all so worth it! i look forward to more of her writing! She is currently writing the sequel (I Believe) to Spelled and I cannot wait!!

Newest Fictional Crush:

 Rhysand from ACOMAF.

Ummm… hello!! Rhys! Do I seriously need to explain this amazing specimen of a character???

Newest Favourite Character:

 Lada from And I Darken by Kierstin White

Well, she scares me and she is not a character that I would want to cross… but, she isn’t your everyday, wishy washy damsel in distress turned amazing hero. She was strong and stubborn and strong willed from the very beginning and I feel like she is a step above every other strong female character that I love because of this fact. She has never needed saving and I love the about her!

Book that made you cry:

 If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin.

Quite a few books have made me cry recently, but I think this book hit me the strongest! There you sit, watching these two characters fall in love and it is cutesy and feels full and bam! That ending… Box of tissues needed if you are going to brave this book! The worst thing is, you know from the very beginning what is going to happen, but that does not stop you hoping that it doesn’t!

Book that made you happy:

 Wrecked by Maria Padian

So, if you clicked the link, you’re probably thinking that I some kind of really weird psycho for thinking that this kind of book could ever make me happy… BUT… the outcome made me happy! I was rooting and I rooted right! Again, this book is being released later this year!

Favourite book to film adaptation:

Technically, tv show… but they are so epic!! I haven’t actually read all of the GoT books, but I am getting there! I love this show!

Favourite post you have done this year:

I don’t actually have a favourite post that I have done this year, but I did like sharing random facts about myself in TTT this week!

Most beautiful book you’ve bought this year:

 Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.

I bought a physical copy of this book not too long ago with this cover and it still makes me drool every time I clap eyes on it!

What book do you need to read by the end of the year:

 Winter by Marissa Meyer

There are so many books, but I would have to say the ultimate goal is this one! I have had it on my nightstand for ages now, but for some reason I keep procrastinating!

My tags:

Jamie @ Watch Game Read

Jesse @ Books at Dawn

Olivia @ Heir of Glitter

Kat @ Kat Impossible

Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books

and you! If you want to do this tag feel free! Link me up so that I can see your answers!

And I Darken by Kierstin White

And I Darken by Kierstin White

Published: June 28th 2016 by Delacorte Press

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

I have had this book on my TBR for a while now – even before its release! I know nothing about the Ottoman Empire, or Vlad the Impaler for that matter – so I basically went into this book blind. I mostly enjoyed this book, but some parts felt slow and dragged way too much!

Lada is scary. Right from the very beginning of the book, she is someone who I would not want to cross in the middle of a dark alley… or really anywhere. Just don’t cross her… she will most likely stab you.I loved the fact that Lada was trying to make more of herself despite the fact that she is a woman. She understands that she most likely won’t get very far, but she doesn’t let that stop her! However, she was really really really stubborn. Like, really stubborn. I kept wanting to bang her head against the wall! I mean, seriously, why can’t you just accept what is??

I loved Radu. He was so cute and fluffy and I just want to adopt him! Is that possible? I think he made the most change and came the furthest throughout the book. While he was a man, everyone ignored him and saw him as weak because he didn’t act like the shabby brother Mircea. Or his father for that matter – therefore he was ridiculed and bullied throughout his entire life. He came the furthest, however, because he made something of himself and turned to what he was good at: which appeared to be somewhat like Lord Varys from GoT. He accepted who he was and what he was and his feelings for certain things and certain people and, while he struggled with them, he was the honest one out of all of them.

I loved the relationship that the two had with Mehmed. They were all in their own way, privileged captives and they all wanted to be free of one thing or another. However, their relationship became way too complicated with adulthood and feelings; with bouts of unrequited love and not knowing that someone is in love with you, whilst being in love with someone else… It was all pretty much a secret mess. I don’t want to give too much away, but some of it was cute and some of it made me sad and some of it made me angry.

There were way too many supporting characters to keep track of! I was introduced to a character somewhere around the beginning and then, when re introduced to him, I couldn’t remember who he was because there were just so many names and faces to remember! It got confusing at some points trying to remember who was who and who hated who etc. It was tiring – I needed a nap. That’s all I am saying! Maybe I should go into the next book with a notepad and pen?

The plot felt a little dry and slow at some points. There were times where I couldn’t put the book down and others that felt like I was dragging myself through the mud to get to a better point in the book. Even at some points I had to put this book down because it all felt like too much! There was a major info dump and I am not the best at remembering that much information!! I was going to give this book 3 stars, but I felt like the twist at the ending deserved a star all on its own because I just wasn’t expecting it. I felt betrayed and everything!

This book was a little slow in places, better in others with way too many supporting characters. I am not exactly pining after the next book, but I will read it when it comes out! I gave this book 4/5 stars.

Have you read this book? What did you think?