“Keep the quarantine, they said. Follow the rules and we’ll help you…A year and a half of empty sky, of not enough medicine, of bodies burning behind “Keep the quarantine, they said. Follow the rules and we’ll help you…A year and a half of empty sky, of not enough medicine, of bodies burning behind the school. We have to help ourselves.”
3.5 ⭐️
Me, inadvertently reading horror book after horror book ...more
“It’s just life Will. It’ll be over before we know it.”
I’d seen mixed reviews regarding this book. Some loved it; pegged it as the next Fault 3.5 ⭐️
“It’s just life Will. It’ll be over before we know it.”
I’d seen mixed reviews regarding this book. Some loved it; pegged it as the next Fault in Our Stars. Others found it irritating, mushy and generally unenjoyable. I am sat right on the fence. I read TFIOS years ago, and I remember thinking it was ok, I wasn’t blown away, sure it was sad, but I felt it tried too hard to be sad….I dunno. And I felt a similar way with Five Feet Apart.
Stella and Will both have Cystic Fibrosis, Will has also recently contracted B Cepacia, which means his lungs are even more delicate than others; and he can easily pass this bacteria to other patients. Hence the rule – no closer than 6 feet to other CF sufferers AT ALL TIMES. (Yup 6 feet – the 5 feet thing comes later in the book).
Unfortunately, true love gets in the way. You can call me an old cynic if you like, but the relationship was so insta-lovey, and Stella was just so quick to throw away her own well-being for the sake of being closer to Will, and I’m just sat here like….REALLY?!? Don’t you value your life at all? You’ve only been desperately fighting this disease for nearly your whole life just to throw it away on some boy?? Honestly!
And then just to prove this point (view spoiler)[ they go and kill off Poe. Stella’s best friend. (hide spoiler)] Just so it’s majorly obvious how stupid and dangerous their behaviour is. But does it stop them? Nope.
I get that it’s supposed to be romantic, and that some things are bigger than their disease, and life is about taking risks etc. But I just couldn’t get behind this….
I’ve given an extra half star as it was an easy read, and there were plenty of enjoyable parts. I just wasn’t sure about the overall message. ...more
Elisabeth has grown up in the library. She is currently an apprentice but her goal is to become a Warden. They are taWell the hype did not disappoint!
Elisabeth has grown up in the library. She is currently an apprentice but her goal is to become a Warden. They are tasked with looking after grimoires, books with a personality of their own that usually hold important information or spells. They must be careful not to get them damaged or they turn into Maleficts which are considerably harder to handle and much more dangerous.
When someone breaks into the library and releases a Malefict, Elisabeth is swiftly blamed. Exiled from the library she enters into a journey unlike anything she’s ever known and which will question everything she believed.
I loved this story! I loved Elisabeth and Nathaniel’s characters, I especially loved Silas the demon and the question of whether he was truly evil or not.
A non- stop page turner but with a fantastically built fantasy world, which you don’t see very often. I’m intrigued to try more by Margaret Rogerson. ...more
But was this book the most incredibly magical, moving, imaginative and absolutely immersive gem I’ve read in a long time? Am I confused as heck? Yes.
But was this book the most incredibly magical, moving, imaginative and absolutely immersive gem I’ve read in a long time? Also yes.
I enjoyed this so much more than The Night Circus!
"We are all stardust and stories."
Ok, where do I begin? I can honestly say I've never read anything like this book before. Zachary Ezra Rawlings finds a book in the library that isn't catalogued and becomes curious. Once he begins reading 'Sweet Sorrows' he discovers a world beyond his wildest dreams - and the weirdest part? One of the chapters in the book is a part of Zachary's childhood - he is reading about himself.
"Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift."
Pretty soon Zachary becomes obsessed with this book and will do anything to discover more about how it was written, and what it means that he is in the story. I won't say too much because I think it's best to go in blind and be swept away with the magic of this book.
"Because I haven't figured out the puzzle yet even though I don't know what the puzzle is. Because I feel more alive down here than I ever did up there."
The world of the Starless Sea is filled with wonder and imagination, don't expect to understand everything because honestly some of it just went straight over my head. But what really tipped this for me was the wonderful short stories between each chapter. Stories about fate and time, the moon and the sun, the Owl King and Princesses, swordsmiths and pirates. Erin Morgenstern's imagination is unparalleled, I just can't give it 5 stars because I didn't fully understand some parts of the world.
"If all endings are beginnings, are all beginnings also endings?"
****************** Just picked up this beauty from the library. I didn’t love The Night Circus - too romancy for me, but I could appreciate its beautiful and imaginative elements.
"Because caring was a thing with claws. It sank them in, and didn't let go. Caring hurt more than a knife to the leg, more than Just...wow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Because caring was a thing with claws. It sank them in, and didn't let go. Caring hurt more than a knife to the leg, more than a few broken ribs, more than anything that bled or broke, and healed again. Caring didn't break you clean. It was a bone that didn't set, a cut that wouldn't close."
What an epic trilogy this has been! That quote pretty much sums up my love for all of these characters. Dark magic has come to red London, leaving a trail of death and devastation in its wake. Kell, Lila, Alucard, Holland and a small crew take to the high seas to find something, ANYTHING that can defeat Osaron. Meanwhile Rhy (my darling love) is at the palace, trying to keep the people calm in the midst of panic and fear.
Despite me constantly stopping and starting this book, every time I picked it back up I wondered why I put it down in the first place! So much action and drama. We learn more of Holland's background (and I learned to love him as well).
"Dawn to dusk. A fresh start. A good end."
Plenty of stuff happens that I won't mention because spoilers. But this was such a wonderful round up of the trilogy, and I even got a bit emotional at the end! Love love love, and I will definitely be coming back for a reread!
"Death comes for us all...I would simply have mine mean something." ...more
"Unfortunately, no one is ever wrong at the right time. If they were, no one would ever be wrong - we'd all just be right.' 'I can't tell if that's t "Unfortunately, no one is ever wrong at the right time. If they were, no one would ever be wrong - we'd all just be right.' 'I can't tell if that's the whiskey talking or if you just said something profound."
I love Roxane Weary!!!!
Honestly this series is just great. If you like crime thrillers, do not miss out on these books. Roxane has got to be one of the most relatable protagonists - she is grumpy, disorganized, nosy and has quite the love for whiskey and in my opinion she is just great. She deserves the best!
Roxane gets a call from her brother Andrew in the middle of the night. A woman he once had a one night stand with years ago has turned up in his apartment, terrified, before suddenly fleeing again. When the woman - Addison, goes missing, Andrew is in the firing line.
Roxane has to find out what happened to Addison before her brother is set up. With a variety of characters ranging from the local crime Lord to Addison's best friends, and even people from the local gym. All the characters interlink, and it seems that everyone has secrets.
Kristen Lepionka is just so good at keeping you guessing. You'll never work out what happened, and the endings leave you shocked and definitely not disappointed!
Paige and Warden are in Paris, working for an undercover group called Domino. But Paige also has her own agenda, she is deterBloody love this series!!
Paige and Warden are in Paris, working for an undercover group called Domino. But Paige also has her own agenda, she is determined to find out more information to bring down Scion.
With all of the action we come to expect from the Bone Season series, with quite a few twists thrown in. I am hooked and I shall wait excitedly for the next book.
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Just bought myself a copy with my birthday book voucher ...more
Ok, so I can say with all honesty that this series does improve drastically. Victoria Aveyard’s writing and character development gets so much b3.5 ⭐️
Ok, so I can say with all honesty that this series does improve drastically. Victoria Aveyard’s writing and character development gets so much better!
When I read Glass Sword and King’s Cage, Mare was pissing me off so much I didn’t even want to continue with this series – especially considering the size of War Storm. However, I powered on through because I wanted to see how it would all end, and to be fair, I am glad I did.
War Storm has split POVs, which really helps lower Mare on the irritation scale. Along with Evangeline Samos, Iris Signet and also a couple of chapters from Cal’s and Maven’s perspective it made for a really interesting read. The 3 strong female protagonists were definitely great to read about and contrast with one another.
Full of politics and double crossing. Everyone has an agenda, and even allies cannot trust one another. King Tiberias (Cal), his grandmother Anabel and his Uncle Julian have aligned themselves with the Scarlet Guard, those from Montfort (the land ruled by Premier Davidson where reds and silvers mix as equals), the newbloods and Cal’s betrothed – Evangeline and her family. Meanwhile Maven and the Signet family (aka the nymphs from the Lakelands) fight from the other side.
There are many battles, to be honest I lost count a few times. I loved reading the different perspectives and seeing what each character wanted to get out of the war. I wanted to know what would happen to Maven in the end. I liked the ending (view spoiler)[ Mare murders Maven, and rightly so I think. But her and Cal still don’t get together in the end? I mean I’m not a romantic at all – but we just had four books of pining and then they don’t even get together? Like what? Cal needs to adjust to the fact that Mare killed Maven – even though we all know someone had to do it! At least Cal turned down his crown in order to work towards a world of equality, so that's something (hide spoiler)]
It’s been a long time coming, and I’m glad I read this series, but I’m also glad to be done with it. Goodbye Lightning Girl – I probably won’t miss you all that much.
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So my copy of this has finally arrived in the library. Though I haven't read the first three since last Summer I cannot be bothered to reread them, so hopefully I'll remember stuff as I go.......more
This was amazing! Incredible! Absolutely loved it!
"Life out here is hard. We all try to get through the best way we can. But trust me, there's not a sThis was amazing! Incredible! Absolutely loved it!
"Life out here is hard. We all try to get through the best way we can. But trust me, there's not a single person here who isn't lying to themselves about something."
I have enjoyed both The Dry and Force of Nature by Jane Harper, but The Lost Man is definitely my favourite so far! Cameron Bright is found dead in the roughest part of the Australian outback, where temperatures reach 40 degrees and a few hours exposure is all it takes for someone to lose their life. His brothers Nathan and Bub are left behind to work out what happened - most people assume suicide, as his car is found fully operational and filled with emergency supplies. But Nathan isn't sure. Cam had a wife, two daughters and a fully functioning business with running the family property - why would he have felt the need to take his own life.
The best part about Jane Harper's books are the ways she sets the scenery, the stifling temperatures, where the closest neighbours are 3 hours apart, where locals have radio's in order to keep in touch. It is life at its most extreme. Nathan in particular - after a messy divorce, lives alone on his land - sometimes going for weeks at a time without human contact. He lives for the visits from his son Xander.
"People pretend to themselves that they are fine all the time. Everyday day, and for years on end."
My other favourite thing with Jane Harper's books is how there isn't a need for some massive twist at the end. There is a small enough pool of suspects, and we know it has to be one of them. The real question is which one? When everyone seems to have a motive. There is Nathan who was in love with Cameron's wife Ilse, there's Bub who stands to gain a slice of the family property after Cam's death, Harry who has worked for the family on the land for years, but has recently fallen out with Cam, what about these two mysterious looking backpackers who have begun working on the land but no one knows anything about them?
There are so many secrets and lies, and hidden agendas with all of these characters, I was completely gripped from start to finish. The reveal at the end surprised me, but it was still believable. Overall this was a fantastically written crime novel and Jane Harper is one to watch!
"Someone can decide it's in their best interests to agree to something, but a choice is only really a choice if there's a genuine alternative." ...more
"They wanted a Grisha Queen. Mal wanted a commoner Queen. And what did I want? Peace for Ravka. A chance to sleep easy in my bed without fear. Am end "They wanted a Grisha Queen. Mal wanted a commoner Queen. And what did I want? Peace for Ravka. A chance to sleep easy in my bed without fear. Am end to the guilt and dread that I woke to every morning."
What a fantastic ending! And so much better than book 2 😊 I was decidedly unimpressed with Siege and Storm. Love triangles, jealous, petty characters, Alina was unbearably irritating, and don't even get me started on The Darkling! But Ruin and Rising was a drastic improvement! Character development, action, drama and so much less pettiness! It is truly amazing what can be achieved when characters actually behave like decent human beings!
Alina is a shadow of her former self, the second army in is ruins and her power is virtually non-existent. The Darkling is still at large, and he won't stop until Alina joins him - or is destroyed. The search is on for the final amplifier; the Firebird. Hopefully with the 3 amplifiers Alina will finally have a chance at fighting against the Darkling and beating him once and for all.
In this instance, my favourite characters aren't the main ones. I absolutely adore Genya and David - they are couple goals 100%. I also enjoyed Zoya's sassiness, and all the other members of the gang we get to meet. Of course Nikolai makes a reappearance; I like him a lot - maybe not to the extent as some others do, but definitely enough that I will be picking up King of Scars.
I liked how the end all came together as well. (view spoiler)[ Mal was actually the third amplifer, as he is a descendant of Morzova. (hide spoiler)] Pretty damn cool! Also (view spoiler)[ The Darkling gets stabbed! Thank God - I hated that guy with a passion. Alina loses her power after killing Mal and using the third amplifer to split her power among loads of others (hide spoiler)]
It was a good way of clearing everything up, and I was really happy with the end.
Overall a decent enough trilogy :) 4 stars ...more
This family was a mess! And that ending was insane. But I had a great time reading this!
So, Milly, Jonah and Aubrey are cousins. But they’ve only met This family was a mess! And that ending was insane. But I had a great time reading this!
So, Milly, Jonah and Aubrey are cousins. But they’ve only met once or twice when they were younger. When they all receive a letter from their secretive and extremely wealthy grandmother they find it very odd.
Their grandmother has never met them. She cut off all contact with their parents years ago with a letter saying “you know what you did”.
So when all 3 are invited to spend the summer working at their grandmother’s illustrious holiday resort their parents see it as an opportunity to find out what really happened back then.
Full of secrets and drama. I found it gripping. Yeah sure some of it is a bit far fetched but ultimately, I was entertained and that’s all I really needed. ...more
Ok, so I adored One of Us is Lying. It was everything I wanted in a YA mystery, when I saw it was getting a sequel I didn’t So pleased I enjoyed this!
Ok, so I adored One of Us is Lying. It was everything I wanted in a YA mystery, when I saw it was getting a sequel I didn’t think it would work.
But I was pleasantly surprised!
Although the characters and events from book 1 are referenced and included, the storyline and new set of character is what powers this book and I was so glad for it!
We have Maeve, Bronwyn’s younger sister, her best friend Knox and their class mate Phoebe. They provide the basis for this story. When someone creates a texting version of truth or dare where people’s darkest secrets are revealed, everyone can’t help but remember the gossip blog Simon ran previously.
Who is behind the game? And when someone dies during a dare, the whole thing becomes a lot more dangerous.
I enjoyed the plot, lots of twists and turns. (view spoiler)[ though I did guess that Phoebe’s sister was involved - pretty proud of myself for that. The random part at the end where it was actually their younger brother who reopened the revenge chat with the criminal was a little far fetched but I’ll let it lie. (hide spoiler)]
Overall, an entertaining high school read which will get you hooked and keep you guessing.
*******************
Ready to pick up from the library. I loved One Of Us is Lying so much - I’m not sure how well a sequel will go down.......more
“There are no others like us, Alina. And there never will be.”
3.5 ⭐️
Though I am enjoying this series, I’m not finding them to be as amazing as all t “There are no others like us, Alina. And there never will be.”
3.5 ⭐️
Though I am enjoying this series, I’m not finding them to be as amazing as all the hype makes them seem. Alina has taken her place as the leader of the 2nd army, and preparations are under way to go to war against The Darkling. Meanwhile, Mal is feeling less and less useful, and constantly jealous of other men who speak to Alina. This girl is supposedly ‘plain looking’ yet at one point she has 4 different men after her?! Like seriously! Why?! It’s just not necessary IMO. I enjoy reading about the different types of Grisha and Alina’s growth with her powers. Overall I will read the last book just to see what happens, but I’m not particularly bothered with this one. Maybe because I’m getting tired of the whole “plain girl with special powers is the only one able to save the world. Oh and everyone fancies her.” Of course this isn’t the books fault, just that I’ve read a lot like that and this one seems like just another to add to the pile.
“You know the problem with heroes and saints...they always end up dead.” ...more
It may be the weather, I always find this time of year puts me in a perpetually grumpy mood. Equally, I fThat ending bumped it up half a star - 3.5 ⭐️
It may be the weather, I always find this time of year puts me in a perpetually grumpy mood. Equally, I found this to be a relatively average read. Particularly after I had such high hopes from reading BKs contemporary reads.
A beauty and the beast retelling - Harper finds herself transported to a land called Emberfall, ruled by Prince Rhen. Rhen is hiding the fact that he has been cursed by a spell caster to turn into a monster. He must find someone to fall in love with him to break the curse. Meanwhile his guard commander Grey is loyal to him throughout.
I loved Grey - he was my favourite. Everyone else was kind of meh. I did like the story and it was a quick read, ultimately what sealed it for me was the ending. (view spoiler)[ Grey is a secret heir to the throne. We think he managed to kill Lilith but he hasn’t returned. So Rhen and Harper believe him dead. (hide spoiler)]
I’m interested to see how the story progresses in book 2!
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Library copy available for pick up
Time to see what the fuss is about! I’ve only ever read BK’s contemporary books so I’m excited to try some of her fantasy ...more
"At certain moments, when death is close, the veils pull back between this world and the next. Heaven and Earth overlay. When they do, it is possible "At certain moments, when death is close, the veils pull back between this world and the next. Heaven and Earth overlay. When they do, it is possible to glimpse certain souls already departed. You can see them awaiting your arrival. And they can see you coming."
“You carry all of us in your heart. We shall live in every breath you take. Every incantation you speak.”
Definitely better than the first one! I was “You carry all of us in your heart. We shall live in every breath you take. Every incantation you speak.”
Definitely better than the first one! I was pretty sceptical going in as there were a few things in book 1 I didn’t like.
However, I’m glad I gave this a chance because it was exciting and engaging.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!
You have been warned.
So Zelie has rejoined her clan and along with her brother Tzain and Amari they are determined to fight their enemies.
But who should show up and become public enemy number 1? None other than Inan, Amari’s brother, Zelie’s ex and all around pain. Damn right I saw this coming from a mile away! Love interests that die in book 1 of a trilogy 9 times out of 10 return from the dead in the next book. And this was no exception.
I didn’t like the way Zelie treated Amari, as if she wasn’t included. In the beginning Zelie was a damn bitch. But by the end Amari did kind of deserve some of that heat.
Also I’ve noticed a love triangle on the horizon! How bloody YA typical.
Despite these flaws for me, the rest of the book was great. There is magic and battles, enemies and lovers, twists and turns and villains to hate.
I was entertained, which is all I was really looking for so I will be picking up book 3 when it comes out ...more
I don’t hand out 5 stars ⭐️ lightly. Usually only for books that shock me or are unlike anything I have ever read.
However, having just finished this I don’t hand out 5 stars ⭐️ lightly. Usually only for books that shock me or are unlike anything I have ever read.
However, having just finished this YA fantasy- I honestly cannot think of a single thing I didn’t like.
So screw it 5 stars from me!
“Sorrow, for that is all she brings us.”
Sorrow Ventaxis is the daughter of the Chancellor of Rhanna, an empire who have had a tempestuous relationship with their neighbour Rhylla for many years.
On the day of Sorrow’s birth, a peace treaty was arranged between the two empires on a slippery and unstable bridge where the two borders meet. There Sorrow’s brother Mael fell off and was killed, her mother then died giving birth to her.
Rhanna was never the same since. Her father fell into a drug induced grief, never to truly surface. Leaving his 18 year old daughter and advisors to run their country.
But when a shock return throws everything into question, Sorrow realises her enemies are everywhere. Even in plain sight.
This book had everything I need, political intrigue, fantastic world building (including a map - I love me a book with a map!), a bit of romance but not so much that it takes away from the plot, characters to love and hate.
Overall I loved this story and I need to get my hands on book 2 immediately!...more
“We wait for death. We hold our breath. We know it’s coming, and still we flinch when it claws at our throats and pDark, delectable and atmospheric.
“We wait for death. We hold our breath. We know it’s coming, and still we flinch when it claws at our throats and pulls us under.”
Penny lives in the town of Sparrow, Oregon, a town that has been under a curse for the last 200 years.
3 teenage girls were drowned for the crime of witchcraft. Since then the 3 sisters return every summer to claim the lives of teenage boys as revenge for the way the town treated them. They inhabit the bodies of local girls on the first day of the Swan Season and over the next few weeks the bodies of boys will be found drowned and washed up on the shore.
When Penny meets Bo, a mysterious traveller who seems to never have heard of the Swan sisters and everything weird that happens in Sparrow she gives him a job and invites him to live in the cottage on the island she lives with her mother. Her mother has lost her mind ever since Penny’s father disappeared.
As bodies begin to appear and everyone is determined to work out which girls have been taken over by the swan sisters and to stop them the island becomes a very dangerous place.
This was a wonderful read full of dark magic and secrets. Once again I found the insta love too much but that’s just me and YA.
Highly recommend.
“Because they don’t inhabit bodies just to be alive again; they do it for revenge.” “Revenge on who?” “The town.” ...more
So this was thoroughly enjoyable! I loved being back in Creekwood with the gang! Leah was one “RIP Leah Burke. She died of acute awkwardosis.”
3.5 ⭐️
So this was thoroughly enjoyable! I loved being back in Creekwood with the gang! Leah was one of my faves from Simon Vs and she was super relatable.
I didn’t love this one as much as Simon Vs, I’ve seen other reviewers say it reads like fan fiction, and I can definitely see that. To swap a characters sexuality from one book to another seems strange, but equally it happens and is understandable and believable at the same time.
The best thing about Leah is that she is real. She is angry, flawed and cares deeply about her friends. Whenever she flipped out or felt awkward, her behaviour resonated with me.
“When I’m mad I escape. It’s what I do. I stalk out of rooms and storm down hallways and disappear into bathroom stalls. Because if I stay, I’ll lose my shit at someone.”
The ending was as expected, massively cheesy. But overall I enjoyed this quick, happy read. ...more
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