Stranice

Monday 5 September 2016

Half-Year Top Ten I 2016



Half- Year Top Ten 2016

So it's been long since I posted on this book and the reason for this was that I kind of lost interest. But now I am back with a top ten list. I am aware that it is already september but don't worry, I only included books that I have read before July. They are in no particular order.

1.    Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare



You would think that after writing Clockwork Princess that she couldn’t write a better book with better characters and plot but you are, just like me wrong. If Lady Midnight is this good, then I cannot wait to read the books that come after this. And it is only the first one in the series. For those of you who don’t know what this book is about. Let me explain it to you. First off, it follows a set of different characters but it is set in the shadowhunter world. It is set five years after the events of City of Heavenly Fire. You don’t have to read any of the previous books in this series to understand and enjoy this one. The characters are great and fun to read about because they are witty, face problems that a lot of readers can relate to (except maybe the demons problem) and are simply badass. Even if you did not like any of the previous Cassandra Clare books, this one might be for you and the cover is gorgeous 

“There was beauty in the idea of freedom, but it was an illusion. Every human heart was chained by love.”

The Raven King ( The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater

 

The Raven King is the fourth and final book in the Raven Cycle series. And it has been a few month since I read it but I can remember that it broke my heart. It was a little bit confusing here and there but nevertheless it was an amazing conclusion to a great series. P.S. I love this cover so much because blue is my favourite colour and the art is stunning too.

“The head is too wise. The heart is all fire.”

3.     A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas




This is the second book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and it was based on the story of Persephone and Hades. This book.  I cannot express my feelings coherently. I read ACOTAR and it was good, I liked it but I did not expect much from the sequel. I decided to pick up the second book just because I knew there was much more to Rhysand than it seemed at first. And I was freaking right. The best word that describes this book is “phenomenal”. The characters, the plot, the romance, the character development: everything fits so well together. Besides that, topics like depression, abuse, PTSD are also present throughout this book, which is a reason why many people call it a masterpiece. And I wholeheartedly agree. WARNING: Mature content!

„He thinks he'll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key. He was the one who let me out.”

4.      Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone



This is a stand-alone cotemporary YA novel. The story is about a girl who has OCD and has been hiding it from her friends because her group is popular and she does not want to change that. However, during her last school year she discovers that she loves writing poetry and that it helps her with her OCD. She becomes part of a secret poetry club where she reads her poems out loud and she becomes friends with a bunch of people who are not so popular. Now she has to decide between her “popular” life and her new friends. The ending was so beautiful that I couldn’t not add this book to my top ten list. 

“Mistakes. Trial and error. Same thing. Mistakes are how we learned to walk and run and that hot things burn when you touch them. You’ve made mistakes all your life and you’re going to keep making them.”

5.      Precious Stone Trilogy by Kerstin Gier



I finished this series this year and I am so happy I did because it was fantastic. My favorite thing about this series was the humour. At some points in the series I laughed out loud, it was so funny. The romance is really cheesy but everything else is great. Be sure to give this book a try.

“True love knows no constraints, no locks or bars.
Past every obstacle it makes its way.
It spreads it wings to soar toward the stars,
No earthly power will make it stop or stay.”

6      The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan



It wouldn’t be a Top Ten list without Rick Riordan on it. Great start to a new series as well as packed with humor, action and returning characters. It is everything you need in a good book. Basically, Apollo is turned into a teenager by Zeus as a punishment for voicing a prophecy. Now it is his job to go on a few quests in order to regain his god status. THO is narrated from Apollo’s point of view and his voice is hilarious. I like how throughout the book Apollo starts to act more like a human and less like a god. This book overall made me really excited for the rest of the series.

“Things can turn out differently, Apollo. That's the nice thing about being human. We only have one life, but we can choose what kind of story it's going to be.”

7.      Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo


This is the first book in the Six of Crows duology. It is about six characters who are misfits and they go on a heist. This is all I have to tell about this book. The greatest aspect about this book are the characters. They are different, yet fascinating all in their own way. They all have issues but that’s why I love them so much. Also, the next and last book comes out this month.

“Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you'll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet. And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won't matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns your heart.”

       Calamity (Reckoners #3) by Brandon Sanderson



Calamity is the last book in the Reckoners series. This book was utterly amazing and brilliant. It never got boring and always raised new questions. From now on it is my favourite post-apocalyptic series. It has everything you could ask for and is not heavy on the romance. However, I wish the book was longer since it felt like it was a little bit short. Naturally, the characters were amazing. I love how Megan and David worked together in the end. It all happened so fast I am still dazed.

“Damn, I miss the internet. You could always find people doing stupid stuff on the internet.”

    Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo



I’ll be honest, this series is not one of my favourites. Mainly because I did not like the way it ended. But I can say happily admit that I loved the second book and one of the main reasons behind my love is Nikolai Lantsov. I just loved his personality so much and I think he deserves to be on my list.

“Watch yourself, Nikolai,” Mal said softly. “Princes bleed just like other men.”
Nikolai plucked an invisible piece of dust from his sleeve. “Yes,” he said. “They just do it in better clothes.”

  The Score by Elle Kennedy


 
Surprise, surprise, there is a New Adult book on my list. I guess what I like the most about this series is that the focus is not solely on the sex but also on important things like school, the future, illness, abuse and many more things. I still don’t like how graphic the sex is but I can see past that. It is after all a New Adult book.

“Life hack: if you don’t want someone asking you questions, say the word tampon, and the conversation ends.”

_____________________________

At the end of the year I will have to eliminate some books from my top ten in order to make place for some books that were published in the second half of 2016 - M.V

Monday 4 January 2016

Breaking the Spines Tag

Breaking the Spines Tag

I found this tag on goodreads and decided to do it on my blog. The questions are fairly easy and I think everyone likes to discuss this topic.
  
1. Do you break the spines? Or do you prefer to keep your books looking new?
No, I don't break spines intentionally nor on purpose because I prefer my books to look as pretty as possible.
2. For those who don't like broken spines, have you ever accidentally broken one?
Yes, and sometimes there is no avoiding it. Some books can't be read without breaking their spines.
3. If you are buying a used book, and the spine is broken, how do you feel about it? 
Well, it bothers me a little bit but a book is a book regardless of its condition. However, I try to avoid buying the book with the broken spine if there are other intact copies available.
4. Do you agree or disagree with the opinion some people have on broken spines meaning that a book is well loved?
Yes, I agree. It may bother me when my books are damaged but I don't mind seeing people reading books with broken spines. It only shows that they really like the book and have reread it multiple times
5. Because the spines on hardback books can't visibly break, do you prefer buying hardback books over paperback books? 
Where I live there is not many hardback editions of books and if there is, they are very expensive. So no, I don't buy hardbacks. Although one day when I am rich, I will... xD