What I Read So Far (Schwab, Riordan, Lockhart, Bardugo, Green) October 2017

This is a list of the books I read this month.

1. A Gathering of Shadows by 

V.E. Schwab * 5 stars

When I first started reading this series I honestly had no idea how much I was going to love it. My favorite aspects of this series are the characters, the world and the characters. Oh wow. That's almost everything a series consists of. Lol. Honestly, it's amazing. Everything is done so well. You're going to find something that you will love in this series that's for sure.

2. The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan *5 stars

This was one of my most anticipated books of this year. And it did not disappoint. It actually exceeded my expectation because I started to like some characters that I previously did not care about that much. I also loved the conclusion to the Magnus/Alex story, if you know what I mean *wink*

3. Laura und das Geheimnis von Avanterra by Peter Freund * 3 stars

Some of you might understand the title but most won't be able to. The title literally translates to "Laura and the secret of Avanterra" And as far as I know this series wasn't translated into English. It is praised to be Germany's Harry Potter but I don't agree. The biggest issue I had were the characters who were one-dimensional and some of them even stereotypical. I couldn't connect to them. Laura was sometimes too mean, her brother annoying and her friend was more of hindrance than help. Maybe I'm too old for some Middle Grade books.

4. The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón * 4 stars

Pleasantly surprised by this book. My favorite thing was the atmosphere of this book was the creepy atmosphere it produces. A garden far behind an abandoned house full of statues of circus characters which seem to move. Mysterious accidents and sunken ships. Stormy seas and graveyards. Doesn't it sound perfect for fall?

5. A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab * 5 stars

The second was amazing. This one is even more amazing. First of all, it is a great conclusion. It has an epic battle, epic fight scenes, some romance. Character's personalities are even more developed and they were well developed before. It even makes you like the characters even more. One of my all time favorite series. Can't wait for the sequel.

6. Half Bad by Sally Green * 4 stars

This was recommended to me by one of my Tumblr friends. They said it's going to destroy me so, since I love pain and suffering, I started reading this series. The writing style is sometimes weird but not bad. Actually, what I like the most is the magic system and how it is a metaphor for racism nowadays. At least that's how I understood it. For those of you who have read it, I can't bring myself to like Annelise. It's not that I hate her I just don't care. And that's why her and Nathan's relationship fell flat for me.

7. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo * 4 stars

I made a review for the this book, which you can find here. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed these stories. They were really entertaining and some even could be described as magical. Naturally, not all books were equally good and some of them were boring. But all in all, pretty good.

8. Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart * 4 stars

This story is a mind fuck and that's all I have to say. If you liked We Were Liars, you're going to like this one as well. The timeline is confusing but once you understand it, you won't be able to put down this book. Truly a unique book in the YA Genre.

To summarise, this was an excellent reading month for me. I read eight books and all of them were great. Tell me, did you read any of these books? And have you enjoyed them? What have you read this month?

Language of Thorns| Review

Ever disliked the way a certain fairytale ended? Or the issue that was in it but which was never addressed? Then this collection of short stories is for you.

I started reading this not knowing what to expect. I feared that I might not like it since I doubted that I would be able to connect to the characters. I mean it's a "short" story. Too short to introduce something properly. I was pleasantly surprised though.

The stories were familiar but yet unfamiliar as well. In the sense that they resembled our favorite fairy tales but they also had something new and unexpected. Reading these stories felt like magic and that is largely due to Bardugo's writing style. Every place was so vividly described, one has the feeling they see it in front of their eyes.

That being said, let's move onto the individual stories.

Ayama and the Thorn Wood 3.5⭐
Even though I liked the way it ended, I still felt like there was something missing. This story just did not sit right with me. However, there are also stories that were told within this story and they were great.

The Witch of Duva 4 ⭐
This story I had read before so I skipped it in this collection. But what I remember is delicious food and not so evil witches.

Little Knife 4⭐
This is one of those stories that has a completely unexpected twist. I also always liked fairy tales with challenges in them and even though Bardugo twists them, I still enjoyed reading them.

The Too-Clever Fox 5⭐
If you are anything like me, you will love this story. Firstly, it has a cunning character, which is my favorite kind of character. Secondly, it reminds me of Nikolai Lantsov. And he is my favorite Grishverse character. And lastly, it's the ending of the story that took me by surprise and that's why I gave it 5 stars.

The Soldier Prince 3.5 ⭐
This is a story perfect for winter. It's a retelling of The Nutcracker. If I think about it, it's great for fall too because it has a gloomy vibe to it as well. I must confess that the story left me a bit confused in the end but that does not decrease it's quality.

When Water Sang Fire 5 ⭐
This is my favorite story in this whole collection. It stuck with me because the imagery is vivid. Frozen seas, mermaids and underwater castles. Who would not want to read about this? Also the magic is based on singing, which I haven't read about before. The ending also largely contributed to my rating. It felt real.

Rating of the whole collection: 4⭐

I think that is fair. Certainly worth recommending to someone who perhaps does not like long books and is more fond of shorter stories.

The Ultimate Book Tag! - Get To Know My Bookish Self A Lil Bit Better

I am back and a month hasn't passed since the last update. Yay *throws confetti*

I was searching for interesting book tags on the internet and came across this one. So, I decided to do it since the author tagged "everyone" and I am part of "everyone". Yay.

1. Do you get sick while reading in a car?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on the road, the vehicle, the curves (in the road)... Sometimes I have to take a break in order to continue reading.

2. Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why?

Tahereh Mafi. Her writing is like music. It flows and never feels to heavy. She could write anything and it would sound amazing.

Just read this:

 “Words, I think, are such unpredictable creatures.
No gun, no sword, no army or king will ever be more powerful than a sentence. Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones to become corpses we carry into the future, all the time digging and failing to rip their skeletons from our flesh.”- Ignite Me

Amazing!

3. Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer.

I don't know why but this question bothers me a little bit too much. Why compare these completely different book series but here you go anyway. Harry Potter, because

• better developed world. History, details, different creatures etc.
• not defined purely by romance. In HP you've got friendships, family relations, frenemies AND romance
• powers are much more badass. With magic you can do anything you want and in Twilight you can only have one strength, which is boring and lame.

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is in it (besides books)?

No, I carry my books in my hands if they are heavy or in my school bag.

5. Do you smell your books?

Yes, new and old books have different smells and it's a new experience every time.

6. Books with or without little illustrations?

I don't mind small illustrations. They can be a cute addition to the story.

7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing?

The Twilight books.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!

Apart from the fact that I once freaked out (I actually started crying) when I discovered that my copy of HP and the Goblet of Fire was missing pages and that I consequently begged my mother to go back to the library and get me a new one. I don't know if this is funny or sad 😂

9. What is the tiniest book on your shelf?

Since I am studying abroad, I don't have all my books with me but one really small book I have is "The Tempest" by W. Shakespeare.

10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?

Again, at the moment, it's Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare but at home it's probably Outlander by D. Gabaldon.

11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?

I have one fanfiction published on fanfiction.net and that's it. Maybe, we'll see.

12. When did you get into reading?

When my mother gave me Harry Potter to read in 1st grade. I was forever changed

13. What is your favourite classic book?

Pride and prejudice by J.Austen

14. In school what was your best subject?

English and German. I love learning new languages😁

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated, what would you do?

I would keep it because I like collecting books 😀

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?

I only read the Iron Trail by Holly Black and Cassnadra Clare and I thought it was pretty similar to HP but in the good way. Like I don't mind at all that it resembles it.

17. What is a bad habit you always do while blogging?

Thinking that whatever I am writing is not good enough for the blog and because of that I lose motivation to write quite often.

18. What is your favorite word?

My favorite English word is "nevertheless". It sounds like three words but is actually only one. It fascinates me. 😂

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?

I think I am a nerd.

20. Vampires or Fairies? Why?

Vampires because they can be pretty cool if they are well written 😀 (Recommendation: Vampire Academy)

21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?

Based on the books I've read so far, I would say "shapeshifter". And the first characters that crossed my mind were Tessa Gray (The Infernal Devices) and Lysandra (Throne of Glass). I adore them.

22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why?

Spirits since I never read a book that made me obsessed with Weerewolves. Also I feel like spirits aren't explored enough. There could so many good stories with spirits in them since they arenot limited by their bodies.

23. Zombies or Vampires? Why?

Again, vampires because I can't grasp what is interesting about zombies. They are basically walking corpses and nothing more.

24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?

Forbidden love because what is a good love story without some proper angst. I mean choosing between two people is not angsty, it's just an inconvenience.

25. And finally: Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?

Action with a hint of romance because I don't think that romance is necessarily a bad thing.

Again. Thank you for visiting my blog! I hope you have a great reading time wherever you are in the world. Also, I tag everyone who wants to do this tag but wasn't tagged by anyone. Consider yourself tagged by me. - Marija

What I Read So Far (Armentrout, Clare, Maas, Stine etc.) May/June 2017

Hello, sorry for the long absence and this time I have a valid excuse. I had exams the whole sixth month and I simply lost motivation to read. I tried to save my Reading Challenge by reading some REALLY short books and I think I managed it but I am still 3 books behind. *le sigh* Here are some books I read in May and June:

1. A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas 4/5 ☆

I am aware that this series has its issues but I am simply trash for it and it's mainly because she creates such wonderful characters. My favorites are Cassian, Nesta and Lucien. Besides the obvious problems (like the lack of diversity) I also disliked the fact that this portion of the series did not wrap up properly, for me at least.

2. Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare 5/5 ☆

I already know that this is my favorite book of the year. I doubt that there is a book that can top this. It's over 700 pages long and I read in one go. Everything is perfect: the diverse characters, the angst and drama, the plot, the hidden hints, the plot twist. I cannot wait 2 years for the next book. *cries in pillow*

3. The New Girl by R.L. Stine 3/5 ☆

I liked this but it didn't blow me away mainly because the main character, who is a boy, annoyed me.

His obsession with this new girl made him so annoying and stupid, which put him and the people around him in danger. And I can't stand this in books, even though it is used to push the plot forward. Also, there are some things that just did not make sense but that includes spoilers and I am too lazy to rant right now.

4. The Dead End by R.L. Stine 2/5 ☆

I liked this one even less because people died because someone was afraid to do the logically right thing. I understand that these books are horror books but can we add intelligent characters as well. It would be so much scarier if someone rational cannot escape a demon or something.

5. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne 5/5  ☆

First off, this is a chick-lit book and I love to read these during summer time because they are fun and light reading material for the beach. And I think this one is my favorite chick-lit novel that I've ever read. My favorite aspect was the love-hate relationship because it shows that the characters are aware of the flaws of the other person and it also creates tension, which in turn makes you root for the relationship. Also, there is a certain depth to the characters but it's still not too deep to be boring or heavy.

6. Wicked (A Wicked Saga #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout 3/5  ☆

I started this series a while back but finished it yesterday and it's not like it was bad but the thing about Armentrout's books is that, at least for me personally, is that you start noticing the similarities between her books if you have read a lot of them. For example, if someone who has never read any of her books picks up this one as their first one, I am sure they would love it but to me over time

her books loose their appeal.

 7. Disney Manga: Descendants (The Rotten to the Core Trilogy Volume 1) by Jason Muell 2/5☆(NetGalley)

I did not like this at all and my problems with this volume are that artwork was dull and boring. The four main characters are the only one done in detail. Everything else is blury and dull. The plot only picks up in the other half and then you have to buy the second volume. There are also some things that just did not make sense and the fact that they constantly repeat that they are evil but do not act very evil, just did not sit well with me :(

And that's it for my mini-reviews. Leave a comment if you want and have a great reading time.

- M.V.

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY

-24th May 2017 -

Favorite Minor Characters

1. Nikolai Lantsov

- The Grishaverse -

My love for this boy knows no bounds. Some of you might argue that he isn't a minor character but since he appears in Crooked Kingdom. I count him as a minor characters. Yass the law is hard but it also flexible :D

2. Eddie Castille 

- Vampire Academy and Bloodlines -

He is from the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead and I don't know why but he came to mind. I remember him as this sweet and loyal guy.

3. Charlotte Fairchild

- The Infernal Devices -

Badass lady who had to stand up for herself and the people she cared for. Natural leader I say

4. Nesta Archeron

- A Court of Thorns and Roses -

Some people are annoyed by Nesta but not me. I love how she is stubborn and angry most of the time. No one dares to mess with her and that's what I admire about her

5. Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano

- Heroes of Olympus - 

Another badass lady that knows how to slay her enemies. I hope we see more from Reyna in the upcoming The Trials of Apollo books.

The Sick Book Tag

Hellouu people, long time no see! I don't want to bother you with excuses so let's immediately start with the book tag.

I found this tag on Wattpad and it was created, I assume, by DarkChickie on Wattpad. Here is her post.

Basically, you're given a list of diseases and you have to answer bookish questions related to them.

1. Diabetes - a book too sweet, like really sweet.

For this one, I choose Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I am one of the few poeple who actually liked the Baz and Simon parts in this book. I loved their romance and I thought that this book was a sweet and cute experience! I am sorry that I don't have a REALLY sweet book. I promise I'll read one. Someday. Maybe..







2. Chicken Pox - a book you've read once, and never will pick up again.

The thing is I don't reread books, except for Harry Potter, but I have a book that I hated. I've never hated a book before but this one took the cake. I am talking about Bully by Penelope Douglas. I love love-hate relationship but even I could recognize that it was abuse. No, never gain, nope.






3. Influenza - a contagious book that spread like a virus.

For this one, I'll have to go with A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. I pretty sure that most people thought that ACOTAR was an okay book or worse but then ACOMAF came and the series spread like wildfire. Because it was so damn good. I still think it's the best book in the series even though I read ACOWAR.







4. The Cycle - a book you read every month, year, etc.

Harry Potter because I plan to read it in German next. Can't wait for that! :D











5. Insomnia - a book that kept you up all night.

Right now I can't remember any book that fits into this category. But I'll go with Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I can imagine that it kept some poeple up all night. I mean the whole intrigue was spectacular. Also, I'll probably read Lord of Shadows all night when it comes out.








6. Amnesia - a book that is forgotten and failed to leave an impression on you.

I had to search in the depths of my goodreads "read" shelf to find a book that I've tottaly forgotten. And I found The Case of the Murdered Players by Robert Newman. Honestly, I had forgotten so much (the plot, the characters, the story!!!) that I had to stop and remind myself what it was about.








7. Asthma - a book that took your breath away

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Everything about this book is brilliant. Everything just everything. It's difficult to explain to someone who hasn't read it but trust me, it's good.









8. Malnutrition - a book that lacked food for thought

Olive Kitteridge byElizabeth Strout. I am pretty sure it has some depth but I simply couldn't find it. Maybe when I am older I will understand it.










9. Travel Sickness - a book that took you on a journey through time and space

The first series that came to my mind is The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. I simply love that series so much. And it showed me London in a new perspective that I think, if ever visited London, I'll be just looking for book references.


 So that was the Sick Book Tag. I hope you enjoyed reading about my choices. Whoever comments on this post is tagged :D

The Struggle by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Struggle by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the third book in the Titan series. This series is the spin-off series of the Covenant series. The main character of this series Seth who played a major role in the previous one. After finishing this book in two days, I give it 4 stars. It was so much better than the second one. Also, I did not know that this was a 3+ book series. I am so excited for the next one.

What do you have to know about this book/series? 

First of all, whereas The Covenant series was a YA series, this one is obviously not as you can see by the cover. So if you're not into graphic sex scenes or cannot stand really disgusting imagery in novels, this is not for you. The series as a whole takes place a few months after The Covenant series finishes. And since this is the 3rd book, I can't tell you much about it, except that I find it personally better than the 2nd one.

What are the characters like? 

One of the main reasons why I started reading this series is Seth. I really liked him in the Covenant series. I am just drawn to characters like him. Those with the bad-boy attitude and the arrogance but with a soft and vulnerable side too. Josie is an okay character but in the second book she was problematic. I think she was way to overprotective of Seth and she only knew him for a few months, which I found a little bit unrealistic. However, in this book her reactions are much more realistic and she's not all over set, which is a great improvement in my opinion. Then we have all the other minor characters which I love: Aiden, Alex, Deacon and Luke. It was just great getting a glimpse of them. Apollo, is there too but he is behaving strangely, so I can't pinpoint whether I like him or not. 

Did I like the book?

 Yes, I liked it a lot. It is fast paced and full of drama. There is one major plot twist near the end and even though it is not that original, I loved it. I loved Seth's reaction to it. And it makes the story all the more exciting and suspensul.  However, it also brings a new dose of anxiety into the game. We'll see how it will turn out in the next book.

P.S. I really don't like the covers of this series. I mean, why didn't they continue with the beautiful Covenant covers???