Fangirl Friday is the time of the week where I choose something related to books that makes me happy. This could be be a topic, a genre, a trope, a theme or anything else! And it can result in any kind of post; fan art, a rec list etc etc. There are no limitations as long as whatever it is makes me happy or excited! WHY COFFEESHOPS?For the first Fangirl Friday I want to celebrate the beautiful union of coffeeshops and books. When the weather is dreary and you’re wet and tired there is no better place to take shelter than a coffee shop (apart from a book shop, but usually I spend a lot more money there than I do in a coffee shop and so I try to avoid frequenting them too often haha). Let me set the scene; a comfy couch. A hot drink. A sweet treat. The hustle and bustle of everyday life without any of the pressure to interact with anyone other than your barista. I finished work early today to meet some friends for lunch and after we were done I wasn’t quite ready to head home and call it a day, so I took myself and Wranglestone by Darren Charlton to my nearest cafe. A chai latte and a brownie later I was comfortably enthralled in a zombie filled adventure. It felt like the perfect choice of book too. In Wranglestone winter is just starting to set in and as I read the weather outside seemed to worsen. Only when the rain started to let up did I decide it was time to make my exit, and I wish I could have stayed longer. Ironically enough the first place I went when I was done was a bookshop. Do you have a favourite coffee shop? A favourite drink or snack to have while you’re reading? Or do you prefer to read in the comfort of your own home? Let me know in the comments! And talking of Wranglestone, expect a review sometime in the next week! I’m really enjoying this one so far!
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So it's technically Wednesday, but I'm cheating as I only found out about this concept today and so this is my first Top Ten Tuesday and the topic it surrounds (social media) was too interesting to let it pass by! You can find out more information on Top Ten Tuesdays @ That Artsy Reader Girl if you're interested! 1. Andrew Minyard (from The Foxhole Court) on twitter. I feel like his personality would be really well suited to a social media platform with limited character usage, and he'd swing between acidic comments and junk food rec restaurants. 2. Jeebie Walker (from Arnold Falls) on facebook, because I can imagine that there's an Arnold Falls facebook page where the town argues over small and big things alike, and I think it would be endlessly entertaining in a very wholesome way. 3. Rune (from The Tarot Sequence) on every single piece of social media he would subscribe to, but since he's bad with technology it would probably end in disaster... 4. ...and so I'd follow Brand instead, and watch gleefully from his POV as Rune grows more and more frustrated with the mechanics of the internet. 5. Sideways (from The Scapegracers) on instagram, because I think she'd post the coolest witchy aesthetic posts. All velvet, silk, candles and spell books. 6. Mark (from The Martian) on YouTube for all those stressful, interesting, exciting Mars video blogs we'd be sure to get! You know... assuming they had traditional internet and social media on Mars haha. 7. Artemis Darth Vader (from The Bones Beneath My Skin) on tumblr, because I think she'd have a lot of interesting things to say about the world, and about other worlds, and the universe in general. 8. Gideon (from Gideon the Ninth) would be hilarious on any kind of social media, so I'd definitely follow her. I can just imagine her bemused selfies on instagram, Harrow in the background. Or her sneakily filming Harrow doing creepy stuff. I think she would have been especially good at making vines. Sign me up. 9. Henry (from Red, White and Royal Blue) is someone I would definitely follow to the ends of the earth, never mind social media, but I'd especially love to follow his instagram, because I think he'd post a lot of cool photos. I'm imagining ten photos in a row of him and Alex wrapped in a pride flag with different facial expressions in each. 10. Finally, Monty (from The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue) because he would be such a hot mess on social media. There's no other way I can think it would go, other than sideways. Who would you follow? And why? Let me know in the comments!
5/5 starsThis book was a very intense look into the life of a teenage psychic who is not having a great time of it. From the start it didn't hold any punches. Mr. Big Empty deals with aaaaall the issues, from bullying to child abuse to self harm and suicide, dipping into murder and torture along the way. It isn't ever boring, which, considering it's a long book, is a miracle, and although some aspects were slightly predictable, others were not, which to me is a good mix for a mystery novel. I read the entire thing in the space of 24 hours, on the bus, on my breaks at work, and then finishing it close to midnight, after which I promptly bought the second book in the series. I really loved Vie as a main character, he was refreshing and unique, and I felt for him from the beginning. I just wanted to protect him, which would be impossible because boy does this guy get himself into a thousand different fights every other day. I can't wait to see what trouble he gets up to in the next book haha. Please let Austin, Emmett and Becca protect him to the best of their ability. I'm a little unsure on how the relationship aspect of this series is going to progress. Spoilers within this chapter.... Okay so. I really love Austin as a character, which, yeah, that surprised me as much as it would surprise anyone else who knows me to know that I would pick him over Emmett who is usually exactly my kind of favourite love interest. I kind of want it to end in polyamory because I hate the idea of any of them being sad, but if I had to pick I think I would pick Austin as my hope for a happy ending type romance. The one thing I did find a little weird was how the characters didn't seem their ages at all. They're high schoolers, but they came across as college students or like, early 20s sometimes. It wasn't a big issue, it was just a little jarring to remember how old they actually were. Overall, I recommend it for anyone looking for a m/m romance-thriller-psychic-mystery. It was entertaining and emotional and very, very well written. "I have no idea what I did," I said. "But, holy hell, I did a damn good job of it." - The Scapegracers
5/5 starsI received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Very minor spoilers within. This book is everything I would have killed to read when I was a teenager. It’s very girl power, very witchy and very queer and I loved every second of it. I can’t wait for the second book in all honesty, I think it’s gonna be killer… perhaps quite literally. I love books with mean girl type characters who genuinely care for each other and look out for other girls. I love it even more when they’re Witches. The Craft film was my jam, although admittedly that didn’t quite end as fairytale found family as I would have liked. This book gave such craft vibes I devoured it, and to make it even better the found family/girl friendships were solid and supportive at the end. Our main character actually reads as a teenager, which I think we miss out on sometimes in YA fantasy books. Sideways is a lesbian witch who loves her power, who wants to be seen as powerful and show off to her peers. She wants friends. She wants a place to belong, she goes to parties, she charges for spells. The other main characters, our three other coven members and the love interest Madeline, were all equally real and fleshed out. Yates, Daisy and Jing were a beautiful diverse collision of different personalities. We don't really know a whole lot about Madeline, other than that she's a bit mysterious which... ok ok you got my attention. I'm weak for a mysterious girl. I also loved Mr Scratch. Hands down one of the most fun and interesting takes on witch mythology I’ve seen. The plot was slightly predictable, but not necessarily in a bad way, and one part of the ending did manage to surprise me which was nice. More than anything though, this book is FUN. Between the Halloween parties and the spell casting and the intrigue of the Witchfinders and the spell books, it all wraps into a very enjoyable book. The only thing I wasn’t really a fan of was how inconsistent some parts where. I don’t know if it’s just me or not but quite often there wasn’t really a separation between scenes, and some things that happened (such as Sideways showing up bloody and upset to her parents) weren’t really appropriately handled. I think the reaction from her dads should have been more worried and intense than it was, rather than just letting her not tell them anything about what happened and run off again with the same people she was with when she got hurt in the first place. Especially when her dads seem to care so much about her and her well being, it just didn’t sit quite right in the flow of the story. Overall though, a strong read. AND there's a beautiful piece of cover art, as the cherry on top of the cake of characters you care about and a plot that's intriguing. I can't wait to see where this goes, how the Madeline/Sideways angle pans out, and how the Witchfinders are handled. I want to see more different covens, I want to know more about the spell books, more about the wider background of the witch community. I want to see Chett get destroyed. That last one is perhaps the most important.
4/5 starsThe Electric Heir is the second part of the duology which began with The Fever King, a fantastic book you should definitely read before this one. Please bare in mind that both books deal with some heavy themes, including but not limited to eating disorders, alcohol abuse, rape, domestic violence and child abuse. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. And honestly? My head hurts! You know why?? Because I just read this book in one sitting, eyes glued to my tablet, on the edge of my seat. It was a tense, tense adventure from start to finish, with moments of soft reprieve which were STILL tense in their own ways because as you read them you know that danger is around the very next corner. Whew. I mean, I was expecting great things and boy were they delivered on! This book is hard hitting and emotional in such a way that it leaves you feeling breathless. It deals with situations and topics which are very sensitive and I believe it does a good job of handling them with the honesty and care that they deserve. This duology is about survival, it's about being a survivor, and it never shies away from that, which I think is not just important, but vitally necessary. The synopsis of Electric Heir, sequel to The Fever King, by Victoria Lee, states on GoodReads "Noam Álvaro seeks to end tyranny before he becomes a tyrant himself." And you really do see that journey. Noam is a very powerful character, both literally and emotionally, and seeing the way he's changed from the beginning of the first book is incredible. His character arc has been flawlessly executed. A lot of the changes, a lot of the experiences he's had, have been negative, and he's done things that make him feel sick, but at the heart of him, all he's doing is his best. He's a teenager who has been through so much trauma it was bound to have rubbed off on him in some negative ways. His relationship with Dara is also incredibly well crafted and definitely one of the few positive things that Noam has going for him. Dara in his own right is a powerhouse of a character, not because of his magic, as he doesn't have access to that anymore, but because of the sheer presence he has on page. The way that he reacts, the way that he thinks, the way that he deals with his own trauma and his determination to stop Lehrer, everything about him is powerful. And yet I still want to wrap him in a blanket with Noam and keep them safe for the rest of forever. The one thing I will say (very slight spoilers ahead), which is probably the reason why I'm giving this a 4 star rating (although really it's more 4.5) is that I wasn't quite satisfied with the ending. After all the buildup to the final moment I glanced at the percent check at the bottom of my screen, realised I was on something like 94% and panicked because I thought I must have misread the situation and that I was heading for another cliffhanger and a wait for book 3. It wrapped itself up plot wise, we aren't left hanging, but I don't feel like the ending did the book justice. It's kind of hard to put into words exactly what I mean without spoiling it for everyone. Despite this, however, I 100% recommend The Electric Heir. The ending might not fully live up to my expectations, but the rest of the book surpassed them. It's very dark, twisted sometimes, hard to stomach even, but if you like your dystopias gritty and diverse, with a blast of magic, then you'll love this.
4/5 stars** spoiler alert ** This book is a perfect example as to why I don’t tend to read book series when only the first one is out lmao. I made the same mistake with the Cruel Prince and now I’m stood in book limbo and I HATE IT. I much prefer binge reading and consuming whole series at once but I couldn’t resist this summary and front cover. I listened to the audible version which was done very well. The world building was super interesting and the main characters were all complex beings. I hated Lehrer from the start I NEVER trusted that douche canoe and I need him to die a painful death in book two. The ending was very frustrating for someone who dislikes cliffhangers and wanted a happy ending lmao and Noam’s naivety and unreliable narration did grate on my nerves but I love my disaster bi son. I would, however, take a bullet for my brave gay son so.. if Noam and Dara don’t get a happy ending I’m gonna riot harder than every refugee in this book put together TBH. Talking of book two, I need it like I need air! :( Over the course of the past year I’ve read over 70 books. Some haven’t quite lived up to expectations but the ones below stuck in my mind for long enough to make it onto this list. I’ve written a few details about each to explain why they stuck with me and why I think you should give them a shot. These aren't necessarily books that were published in 2019, they're just books that I personally read in 2019.
That's the choice. I love him, with all that, because of all that. On purpose. I love him on purpose. - red, white and royal blue
5/5 STARS Where do I even start? How do I sum up everything I feel for this book in one single review? I cannot write down the noises of joy I made throughout reading it. I can't draw either of the two times i actually hugged it. A ramble of a review will have to do. Coming from someone who lives in England, who has only ever visited the US and never lived there, the political climate over the past few years has been like watching a car crash over and over again and not being able to do a damn thing to change it. But then, as awful as the political situation makes me feel it must be even worse to have to live under it as an american, although i think we can all agree that England isn't exactly having a good time right about now either lmao dear lord we're all in trouble. Anyway, when my friend recommended this book to me, I was instantly attached to the idea of it. I bought it a couple of hours after we talked about it and it arrived on a Thursday. Today is Friday, so it took me literally 24 hours to read. I've never been more thankful for having the day off work haha. I knew from the start I was going to like it, because how could I not? A love story between a prince of England and the first son? LGBT representation, political tension, strong kick ass female characters (who i now have many many crushes on god bless) including a female president? Sign me tf up. What I couldn't anticipate though was how the book made me feel. How raw it felt in places, how sweet, how painful, how beautifully written. Unlike this review, which is a mess because i literally just finished reading it and my head is a complete mess assdfghhjkk. What I'm trying to say is this book is a god damned blessing. I want everyone to read it. I want every lgbt person especially, and every woman or girl, to read it. I'm bisexual and a girl and so thirsty for representation on both of those aspects so I can promise you, if you're anything like me you'll adore this just as much as i do. I don't want to go into too many plot details, because watching the story and the characters unfold was part of the charm, and i don't want to wax on and on about the same thing, so I'll end this review here, with this; we should have a better world than we do, i'm sad for america and i'm sad for the world, i'm sad for what could have been, should have been. This book, though a little bittersweet in its fiction, gave me back a bit of the hope i've lost in recent years. It was chicken soup for the soul. I have become the Grand Tour horror story - The gentleman's guide to vice and virtue
5/5 STARS ** spoiler alert ** I am so enchanted by this book. I am SO. ENCHANTED. BY THIS BOOK. I listened to the audible version of this and I recommend that you do too. The reader, Christian Coulson, added a whole other realness to the story and had a really great way of speaking the character of Henry Montague. Henry Montague is one of the best characters i've had the pleasure to come across. He is an entitled little shit who has a long journey ahead of him, both physically, because he's about to set off on his tour, and mentally/emotionally because he's got one hell of a ride ahead of him and it changes him for the better. I absolutely loved Monty. I loved his sense of humour, his voice, and more than anything I loved that he grew as a person over the arc of the book. His sister was an absolute delight too. Felicity is such a well rounded, well written character who plays the part of "little sister" perfectly, not putting up with any of Monty's nonsense and making sure to tell him off whenever needed. And don't even get me started on Percy, who must have the patience of a saint to put up with Monty half the time. He is such a pure hearted character every time Monty acted like an ass in Percy's vicinity I wanted to throw my hands up in the air and screech. The plot of the novel spans several countries and brings us into contact with a whole host of secondary characters, all of which were interesting and well written. The plot itself is never boring, from the tense interaction between Monty and his worthless father, the highway men and the hunt for a cure to all illness and the developing relationship between Percy and Monty, every moment of this novel either had me laughing, wincing or tense, in all the right ways. I'm usually not a fan of historical fiction, and I can't say how historically accurate the book was as a whole, but I CAN say that it is one of the best books I've read. I 100% recommend it. Humanity was cruel, and if you were prepared to try to find a bottom to that cruelty, you had best be prepared for a long, long fall. - into the drowning deep
5/5 STARS |
Reviewer26. Capricorn. INFP. Hufflepuff. Archives
October 2020
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