Most Anticipated Fall Releases!

Ever since Queen of Shadows came out I’ve been thinking about all the amazing books coming out this fall (September, October, November) that I can’t wait to get my hands on! Some of them I actually didn’t even realize existed until I went on Goodreads and Chapters/Indigo to make this list… I’m not going to include synopses because I don’t want this post to be ridiculously long (also a lot of them are sequels and spoilers!), but I’ll include the link to the Goodreads page in case any of you are interested.

 

Saga Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Release Date: September 9th
Goodreads
I have never been more excited for a trade in my entire life. Honestly after reading volume 4 I just wanted to keep following the single issues, but I knew I would be irritated only getting one issue at a time. I will be picking this up tomorrow (assuming my comic book store has some)!

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
Release Date: September 15th
Goodreads
I am obsessed with Mindy Kaling and cannot even begin to express how excited I am for this book and for the new season of The Mindy Project. Her first book was so hilarious and authentic and I’m anticipating this one will be just as good.

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs
Release Date: September 22nd
Goodreads
Okay, so, I might be jumping ahead of things here. I haven’t actually read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children or Hollow City yet… But I want to marathon them in October because that’s in the Halloween spirit, right? They look creepy and so awesome!

    

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Release Date: October 6th
Goodreads
This might actually be my most anticipated release of the year. Rainbow Rowell is fantastic. Fangirl is probably one of my favourite books of all time and I found myself just as invested in the Carry On story as I was for Cath’s story. This is going to be fantastic *cue 9th doctor’s voice*.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin
Release Date: October 6th
Goodreads
Honestly I’m just hoping that these short stories can hold me off until The Winds of Winter comes out… whenever that is… Anything happening in Westeros past, present, or future is good enough for me! Bring it on George!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling and illustrated by Jim Kay
Release Date: October 6th
Goodreads
I didn’t even know this was a thing until a week ago when I clicked on Chapter’s “Most Anticipated Books of 2015” list. Another set of Harry Potter books will soon be on my shelves… I’ll probably ask for this for Christmas since I can’t justify spending money on yet another set of the same books, but better believe I’m getting my hands on this one way or another.

After Alice by Gregory Macguire
Release Date: October 27th
Goodreads
I read Wicked by Gregory Macguire because I have been obsessed with the musical Wicked since grade 8. I have yet to continue on with Wicked’s sequels or any of his other books, but Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of my favourite stories of all time. I’m really interested to see what kind of spin he puts on this classic story.

  

Winter by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: November 10th
Goodreads
This books is fighting Carry On for my most anticipated book of this year. Despite the fact that I questioned how cyborgs and fairy tale retellings would mesh, I found Cinder amazing, Scarlet was even better, and Cress literally blew me away. I even enjoyed Fairest, which is strange because I usually don’t like reading about the enemy. I hope Marissa Meyer never stops writing unique and charming books like these.

November 9 by Colleen Hoover
Release Date: November 10th
Goodreads
I just started reading new adult books recently and I’ve completely devoured all of Colleen Hoover’s books in such a short span of time. This woman has a serious gift. As tragic as the underlying themes may be, they are hilarious, the characters are so real and the emotions can be felt on so many different levels. I doubt this book will let me down.

Soundless by Richelle Mead
Release Date: November 10th
Goodreads
Honestly, I’m not even sure if I’m interested in this books because it’s unlike anything I have ever read or solely because Richelle Mead wrote it. She is literally a goddess and I’m going to be sad leaving her vampire world behind, but I’m sure this book will blow me away just the same. I’m pretty sure it’s also suppose to be a standalone, which is a blessing for my bank and my tbr pile.

What’s your most anticipated book coming out in the next few months? Is anyone else as excited as I am for these ones? Let me know!

Happy Reading!

xx
Jacqueline

MAY WRAP-UP & JUNE TBR!

I feel like I’m starting a trend here… *falls off face of the earth* *comes back with wrap-up/tbr* *falls again*. Honestly, when I finished exams I thought I would be free to do whatever I pleased for 4 months. Boy was I wrong. I’ve been working 8 hour days, 5 days a week and the days I do get off I spend doing my readings and homework for the online summer school class I’m taking. It’s history, btw, so LOTS of reading… sometimes it’s very boring. However, I have still been managing to squeeze in reading for fun (of course). So without further ado…

MAY WRAP-UP

So let us reflect on my “May TBR”… My goal was to continue/finish series and companion novels. Did I do this? No, of course not. I kind of did, but then strayed a little..

1. We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

All I have to say is that this book was a fan-freaking-tastic concluded novel. I honestly don’t even understand how I read all three of these books back to back because the EMOTIONS. Holy cow. I literally don’t think I have cried so much while reading in so long. To top it off I have terrible seasonal allergies that make my eyes really red and itchy so just imagine how swollen my eyes were from crying… 5 stars for Jenny Han.

2. Cress by Marissa Meyer

Listening to this on audiobook was the best decision I have ever made. I have never been so engrossed in something in my life. I cannot wait to read Winter. I actually have to stop thinking about this book right now or I’ll go crazy with longing. 5 stars for Marissa Meyer.

3. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Okay, first mistake, I was so into Cress that I really should have continued with fantasy/dystopian. However, I just really wanted a cutesy romance so I started this instead… Second mistake, I kept forcing myself to read even when I wasn’t feeling it. But once I got into it I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It was a good story, a nice romance, and there were really great characters! 4 stars only because the mood wasn’t right when I read it.

4. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

I should have learned after reading one contemporary that I shouldn’t continue onto my contemporary streak… but no, I continued. This book was just really random… I should have known the insta love would bother me since that’s exactly what the book is about, but the family aspect of it was really nice and unexpected so it gets a 3 star rating.

5. Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Holy moly. The mixed reviews of this book made me hesitant, but DAMN. I am so glad I read this when I did, I definitely think I prevented a serious reading slump. Levana’s story was so interesting and I’m glad I now know why she never shows her face. However, some other things I wanted to know and felt were important were just brushed off. 4 stars for Marissa Meyer this time.

6. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Okay, what even was this book. I started off reading it and taking my time like tralalalala… Honestly, it was like I was taking a stroll through the park. Then, BAM. Love, happiness, betrayal, death, hatred, surprise, badassery, more surprise… Then the very last chapter…. MIND = BLOWN. I honestly think I am the world’s most naive reader.. I NEVER see things coming. Literally. Everyone else: oh yeah I totally saw that coming, I definitely had a feeling, I guessed from the beginning…
Me: WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CK JUST HAPPENED? LITERALLY. WHAT IS LIFE.
Also, Chaolena forever. Dorian is cute, but not for Celaena. 5 glorious stars for the Queen herself, Sarah J. Maas. Like girl, where did you even come from because you’re actually unreal.

JUNE TBR

So because I’m so extremely terrible at following TBRs, I’m not really going to make one. I would like to continue on with series… I’m currently reading The Assassin’s Blade and I’m about to order Heir of Fire online.. So we’ll see how that goes. I’m going to Cuba for a week on June 11th and I plan on taking and finishing as many books as I can, so for that week I’m probably just going to try to read only books under 350-400 pages. I want to try to knock as many books off my TBR as possible and I think that will be an excellent way to do it.

What was your favourite book you read this month? What’s your most anticipated book on your June TBR? Let me know!

Happy Reading!

xx

Jacqueline

RANT!

So yesterday, as almost everyone knows, was the release date of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. I don’t really believe in pre-orders, mostly because there really is no guarantee it will come on time anyways, but also because I’m just lazy and don’t care to do them. So, this book is no exception. I didn’t preorder it. Instead, I went to the bookstore intending to buy it and they didn’t have it… Okay, not a big deal. I thought maybe it was just because the bookstore I went to was a small one inside of the mall near my house. I thought about going to Chapters later on. Then, I came home and looked on the Chapters/Indigo website. Boy, was I surprised at what I saw…

WHAT?! APPARENTLY, this book is not available to buy IN THE STORE?! And, it’s also SOLD OUT ONLINE?! My first reaction was something like…

Then once it sunk in all the way it was a little bit more like…

Needless to say, I’m more than a bit annoyed. ALL I WANTED WAS THIS DAMN BOOK. IT SOUNDS SOO GOOOD. It’s not like I really NEED the book, I have like 50 books on my TBR pile, but that’s besides the point! I’m more annoyed because I’m seeing so many Instagram pictures of everyone with the book, or people buying it at the bookstore, or going to a signing and the shelves being full of them… I’m more annoyed at the fact that I live in Canada and it seems like Canada is the only place in the entire world that DOES NOT SELL THIS BOOK IN THE STORE. Not to mention the book is also sold out on Amazon.ca. Which, again, is typical for Canada. Thank god for the book depository. I’m going to order it right now.

Has this ever happened to any of you, whether it be for this book or another book? Is this a sign that I should start to take pre-orders more seriously?! Ugh. 

xx

Jacqueline

APRIL WRAP-UP & MAY TBR!

April Wrap-Up!

I’m seriously so confused as to how it is already May. I finished all 5 of my final exams and by the end I was seriously ready to just lay down and give up. I finished my last exam on April 24th and since then I have been working and sleeping. Yesterday and today I marathoned all of the episodes of season 10 of Criminal Minds that I had recorded on my TV and unfortunately on Monday I have to start an online class that I’m taking in the summer. On the bright side, I’m planning a trip to Cuba with two of my girlfriends and I can’t wait to just lay on the beach and read! So without further ado… here are the measly 5 books I read this month!

1. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

I finished this one about two days into the month. After reading Maybe Someday I needed to devour more Colleen Hoover as soon as humanly possible. I had Hopeless and Losing Hope from the last time I did a bookoutlet order, so I immediately started it. I honestly was so emotionally invested in this book. I still had class that week, and let me tell you, I cherished those moments on the subway when I could read. However, I’m extremely thankful I was at home reading when I got near the end because I cried like an absolute baby. I did not see such a tragic story coming… but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I’m giving myself a cooling off period before I pick up Losing Hope. 4 out of 5 stars for this one.

2. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I bought these book last year and after reading a ton of mixed reviews on goodreads I honestly did not know if I was even going to try to read it. However, the good seemed to outweigh the bad and I was really intrigued with the idea of a female, teenaged assassin. I’m so glad I decided to start… this book is fantastic. A lot of the reviews seemed to have a problem with how childish and annoying Celaena is, but I hardly noticed. I mean yeah she’s cocky, but if I was a teenage girl known as Adarlan’s gratest assassin, I would probably be a little cocky too. Such a wild ride, 5 out of 5 stars!

3. The 5th Horseman by James Patterson 

I’ve been reading the Women’s Murder Club for years and I’m only on the fifth book… I tend to read like one a year because I can’t really take too much murder mystery at once. This one was kind of disappointing because it started off slow, got really good, and then ended kind of bizarrely. It was still really interesting though so it was a 3 out of 5 stars for me.

4. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

I wanted to start this series in the spring because I figured it would be the perfect way to get ready for summer. I really wish I had of read these books when I was a bit younger so I could identify with Belly more. Regardless, I really enjoyed this book and I loved the family aspect as well as the romance. 4 out of 5 for this one!

5. It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

As soon as I finished the first book, I immediately had to pick up the second. I became so invested in the characters and I couldn’t sit around without knowing what happened next! I actually stayed up until 2am last night starting/finishing this one… But I’m counting it in my April wrap-up because I read it before I went to sleep! I enjoyed this one so much and it was such an emotional ride. I cried for a good chunk of the book. 5 out of 5 stars!

6. Cress by Marissa Meyer (37% finished)

I’ve been listening to this on audiobook for the last few days and I’m loving it so far! I can’t wait to find out what happens! This is my first audiobook and I’m really loving listening to it whenever I’m doing stuff around the house or on the go!

May TBR!

This month I’m planning on finishing up/continuing on with some series I have started. First, I want to finish up listening to Cress. Then I’m going to move into finishing We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han. Followed by as many of the following as I can:

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

2. Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

3. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

4. Four by Veronica Roth

5. The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

6. Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Hopefully I can read more than that in the month of May, but we’ll have to see! Well, that’s it for now!

What did you guys read this month? Link your wrap-ups below! Have any of you read any of the books on my TBR? Which ones should I prioritize? 

xx

Jacqueline

TOP TEN TUESDAY: INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish!

TOP TEN INSPIRING QUOTES FROM BOOKS

1. “One should never be ashamed to cry. Tears are rain on the dust of earth.” – Charles Dickens, Great Expectations 

2. “In the end that was the choice you made, and it doesn’t matter how hard it was to make. It matters that you did.” – Cassandra Clare, City of Glass 

3. “It’s al right to love someone who doesn’t love you back, as long as they’re worth you loving them. As long as they deserve it.” – Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel 

4. “Thomas Edison’s last words were, ‘It’s very beautiful over there’. I don’t know where there is, but I believe it’s somewhere, and I hope it’s beautiful.” – John Green, Looking for Alaska 

5. “So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that could be.” – Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower 

6. “It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.” Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay

7. “People aren’t either wicked or noble. They’re like chef’s salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict.” – Lemony Snicket, The Grim Grotto 

8. “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” – J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 

9. “You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.” – Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass 

10. “We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory, and our great tragedy.” – George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones 

and of course, everything out of Tyrion’s mouth is my favaourite quote…

This was so difficult, it definitely took much longer than it should have, but I have so many favourite quotes!!

Anyways, that was a nice break, back to studying!

xx

Jacqueline

MARCH WRAP-UP & APRIL TBR!

MARCH WRAP-UP!

I honestly don’t understand how it’s April 4th… March has gone by so quickly I’m dumbfounded. My first final exam is in exactly one week and I could not be less prepared…Between midterms, final papers, and moving my sister into her new house I’m surprised I even did any reading this month! Well… I’m actually not surprised… because my favourite way to procrastinate on school work is by reading for pleasure.

1. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin 

I spent the first 21 days of March tackling this bad boy… I don’t know how I read A Feast For Crows in a week when everyone seems to think it was the most boring, and yet I could not seem to finish ADWD. It honestly took every ounce of my being to push through and not give up. I needed to finish before the new season NEXT WEEKEND! Sorry George, this one was only 4/5 stars for me because I was kind of bored.

2. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks 

As soon as I finished ADWD I needed something romantic that could help me stop thinking about how depressing ASOIF is… and how tragic the season finale of The 100 was. I basically just really badly needed a pick me up and let me tell you, what a perfect book I picked!! This was so cute, it made me giggle, and I just loved it. 5 stars for you Sir Nicholas Sparks!

3. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Literally all I have to say about this book is.. WOW! Rainbow Rowell seriously blows me away with her writing. I liked Eleanor & Park a lot, I loveeed Fangirl.. but holy shit. Attachments was so funny, so cute, and honestly I can’t even find words. The ending ❤ ❤ ❤ my stomach flipped so many times. AAAhhh, just perfect. Go read it. Right now. All the 5’s!!

4. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover 

Can you tell I’m on a serious contemporary romance rampage?? WHERE HAS COLLEN HOOVER BEEN ALL MY LIFE?! This was my first book by her, and wow, seriously blown away. My heart broke so many times in this book, but the ending could not have been more perfect. Ridge… *swoons* *sighs* *passes out*. 5 stars for you Colleen Hoover!

Considering it took me 21 days to finish reading ONE book, I’m kind of impressed I was able to catch up with another 3 books… plus studying for midterms and write final papers and all that fun stuff… I’m also still 6 books ahead of schedule for my goal of 60 books this year, go me!

APRIL TBR!

I’m not going to stick to a TBR list this month because I have 5 final exams and as much as I hate to admit it, I probably wont be doing much reading… So I think the best thing to do is to just read what I feel like, when I feel like it… I’ve already finished Hopeless by Colleen Hoover, so I’ll probably continue on my contemporary rampage until I get sick of them! But one thing is forsure… I’m reading Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins as soon as it comes out next week!

What are you guys reading this month? Are you keeping up on your goals for this year? Do you have any anticipated releases this month? Let me know!

xx

Jacqueline

TOP TEN TUESDAY: CHILDHOOD BOOKS

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish!

TOP TEN BOOKS FROM MY CHILDHOOD THAT I WOULD LOVE TO REVISIT

I know it’s Wednesday, but I couldn’t miss this topic! There are so many books from my elementary school years that I would love to reread.

**note: I am deliberately leaving out Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and A Series of Unfortunate Events because they are books I have already revisited, and will continue to revisit, so I feel like it is not necessary to mention them… the books on this list are books I have not read since elementary school, I just remember that I loved them and they had an impact on me.

1. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

My teacher started reading this book to us in grade 4 on what I’m pretty sure was the Friday before March Break. I went home and immediately begged my dad to take me to the bookstore to buy it. I had it finished by the end of the weekend, and was completely okay with having to hear the story again when I went back to school after the break.

2. Avalon by Rachel Roberts

Aside from Harry Potter this was the series that really sparked my interest in fantasy. If I didn’t give all the books to my younger cousin I would definitely pick them up to reread. They ended up releasing new covers and I think eventually I might pick them up just to have as part of my collection. I like giving away books, but then I also really want to keep every book just incase! One day my sisters will have children and so will I, so you never know!

3. The Secret Language of Girls by Frances O’Roark Dowell

I honestly could not even tell you what this book is about. All I remember is as a young girl I thoroughly enjoyed it and even my elementary school best friend (who hated reading) loved it! When I thought of this topic it was one of the first book covers that popped into my head.

4. Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park

This was the first real series of books I started collecting. These books were fantastic, Junie is hilarious, and the covers and the art rock! “My name is Junie B. Jones. The ‘B’ stands for Beatrice. Except I don’t like Beatrice. I just like B and that’s all.” Such a sassy little child, I loved it.

5. Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume

Honestly I think this is such an important book to read as a young girl. It just kind of helps you understand the things you are going through and what you can expect to go through. Judy Blume is a fantastic writer and I enjoyed all her other books as well, but this was by far my favourite.

6. The Gravesavers by Sheree Fitch

Again, couldn’t tell ya what it’s about. I think there was a ghost/some type of supernatural element. But you didn’t know the person was a ghost the whole time? Not sure. I’m fairly certain I cried, and I held onto this book for so long intending to reread it, but now I can’t seem to find it and I’m so hurt.

7. Finding Violet Park by Jenny Valentine

8. Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine

Both of these books deal with really difficult topics. As a tween they were some of my first experiences reading about things like suicide and loss so I feel like they will always hold a special place in my heart. I would love to reread them to find out what I would think of them now.

9. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

I feel like a lot of people complain about/have a hard time reading books for school, but I honestly never have. This was one of the first books I had to read for a book report in elementary school and I was obsessed with it. The mystery and the story was just so intriguing to me. They also made a terrible made-for-tv movie of it and I’m pretty sure I even enjoyed that. I actually tried to reread this recently but cast it aside because I had too many new books I wanted to get to.

10. Warriors by Erin Hunter

This is easily the longest book series I have ever collected. I started the first book Into the Wild in grade 5 and continued reading these books until I graduated grade 12…. and there are still more… Once I start reading a series I don’t like stopping until it’s over. But it just won’t end! Granted, it’s not like it’s one massive series… it’s sets of 6 series with new character POV’s in each so I could have stopped but I didn’t. There are still 3 more books I need to complete the last subseries I started, but at this point I feel like I would have to read them all over again to remember where I was at!

Well that’s it for the childhood books I would like to reread! Has anyone else read any of these? Do you remember what you thought of them? Would you ever reread them? Let me know!

xx

Jacqueline

JANUARY WRAP-UP & FEBRUARY TBR!

At the beginning of January I was weirdly feeling ready to go back to school and take on second semester… and then the first week happened. I feel like I was hit with a freight train. Now I’m just so… tired…

This is literally what I look like in my 8am classes… Considering how much work I already have to do for school I am extremely impressed at how much I read this month. I somehow managed to finish 8 books and 6 graphic novels. I’m not going to comment on any of the books because I’m super behind in reviews so I’ll save the thoughts for those.

January Wrap-Up

1. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (5/5 stars)

2. Saga, Vol 4 by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples (5/5 stars)

3. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Prelude by Dan Abnett (4/5 stars)

4. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (5/5 stars)

5. Ms. Marvel, Vol 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson (5/5 stars)

6. Who Could That Be at This Hour? (All The Wrong Questions #1) by Lemony Snicket (4/5 stars)

7. When Did You See Her Last? (All The Wrong Questions #2) by Lemony Snicket (5/5 stars)

8. Deadly Class, Vol 1: Reagan Youth by Rick Remender (5/5 stars)

9. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (4/5 stars)

10. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett (4/5 stars)

11. Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle (5/5 stars)

12. Maus, II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelmen (5/5 stars)

13. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (5/5 stars)

14. Fables, Vol 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham (4/5 stars)

That’s 3,032 pages read!

I am definitely impressed with myself! I never read this much in a month during school!

* * *

February TBR

Since the next few months are going to be really hectic at school with upcoming midterms and papers due, I am only going to focus on reading two books and one graphic novel. I also might not even end up finishing them since the books I’m choosing are pretty chunky. Caution! Synopses might contain spoilers for books earlier in the series!

ONE.

A Feast for Crows (ASOIF #4) by George R.R. Martin

Goodreads Synopsis

With A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth volume of the landmark series that has redefined imaginative fiction and stands as a modern masterpiece in the making.

After centuries of bitter strife, the seven powers dividing the land have beaten one another into an uneasy truce. But it’s not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters of the Seven Kingdoms gather. Now, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—emerge from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges of the terrible times ahead. Nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages, are coming together to stake their fortunes…and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.

TWO.

The Wicked and The Divine, Vol 1: The Faust Act by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie & Matt Wilson

Goodreads Synopsis

Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critical tongue-attractors like Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to create a world where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever. 

THREE.

A Dance with Dragons (ASOIF #5) by George R.R. Martin

Goodreads Synopsis 

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, Daenerys Targaryen rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way east–with new allies who may not be the ragtag band they seem. And in the frozen north, Jon Snow confronts creatures from beyond the Wall of ice and stone, and powerful foes from within the Night’s Watch. In a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics lead a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, to the greatest dance of all.

We’ll see if I can make a dent in these by the end of February… I want to at least have them done by the new season in April!

What did you guys read this month? Was it more or less than you hoped? What’s on your February TBR?

Happy Reading!

xx

Jacqueline

Double Review: All The Wrong Questions

I literally am the worst at read-a-thons. Not in terms of reading, I’m actually doing really well, but in terms of updates and twitter and all that fun stuff… So since it’s the last day and I haven’t done any updates thus far I’ll just do a “Bout of Books 12.0 Wrap Up” post tomorrow. For now I’ll just continue to review some of the books I finished this week.

* * *

Who Could That Be at This Hour? (All The Wrong Questions #1) by Lemony Snicket
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Published: October 23rd, 2012
Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction, Mystery
Source: Bought
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

The adventure began in a fading town. Far from anyone he knew or trusted, a young Lemony Snicket started an apprenticeship for a secret organization shrouded in mystery and secrecy. He asked questions that shouldn’t have been on his mind. Now he has written an account that should not be published that shouldn’t be read. Not even by you. Seriously, we recommend that you do NOT ask your parents for this, the first book in his new ALL THE WRONG QUESTIONS series.

Lemony Snicket, in case you don’t already know, grew up to be the author of A Series of Unfortunate Events series.

My Thoughts: 

When I was 10 years old my Dad’s cousin came to stay at our house for a few weeks in the summer with his three sons. They are from Wales and so naturally I thought they were very interesting. The oldest one is a year older than me and we got along very well. I’ve seen him quite a few times since then but the reason the first time we met was so special was because he introduced me to Lemony Snicket. I remember seeing him read The Hostile Hospital and thinking “what a strange cover, I wonder what this book is about”. When the school year started and the scholastic book orders started up again I immediately made my mother order me the set of books 1-9 and my life was forever changed.

A lot of people say A Series of Unfortunate Events started their love of reading. For me this isn’t true. I liked reading before I first read Lemony Snicket. In fact, I loved reading since first grade when you got to take home books in a book bag. However, Lemony Snicket changed the way I read and for that I will always be grateful. This past May I reread all 13 books back to back and immediately ordered the first two in the All The Wrong Questions series thinking they would answer some of the questions I have had for years.

Who Could That Be at This Hour tells the story of a young Lemony Snicket and his useless adult chaperone S. Theodora Markson. He chose this chaperone (ranked dead last) because he believed he would be able to sneak off to meet his associates and engage in more important activities. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, S. Theodora Markson whisks him off to the unusual town of Stain’d by the Sea where they are hired to solve the case of a missing statue. Little do they both know this statue seems to unfold an even larger mystery with an even larger villain behind it all.

The first book in this series mostly sets up the characters and the town while dealing with a small mystery. It’s funny and witty and has Lemony Snicket’s signature writing style. It doesn’t really answer any questions, just creates new ones. It also hints at characters and events that take place in ASOUE but mainly focuses on these characters and this new town. If you’re looking for a mystery that wraps itself up in the end with a neat little bow, this book is not for you. Mr. Snicket will never give you a satisfying ending, but that’s what makes it so fun. All in all this was a really fun and quick read. The only problem I had was that the story focused a lot on the characters and the mystery was kind of lacking in this first book.

* * *

When Did You See Her Last? (All The Wrong Questions #2) by Lemony Snicket
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Published: October 15th, 2013
Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction, Mystery
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis 

I should have asked the question “How could someone who was missing be in two places at once?” Instead, I asked the wrong question — four wrong questions, more or less. This is the account of the second.

In the fading town of Stain’d-by-the-Sea, young apprentice Lemony Snicket has a new case to solve when he and his chaperone are hired to find a missing girl. Is the girl a runaway? Or was she kidnapped? Was she seen last at the grocery store? Or could she have stopped at the diner? Is it really any of your business? These are All The Wrong Questions.

My Thoughts: 

These books are crazy addicting. I feel like I couldn’t have disliked this book if I tried. The mystery was fast paced, creepy and interesting. S. Theodora Markson was annoying and unintelligent so it was easy to imagine how Lemony Snicket was feeling. I love the characters. All of the children are around the same age and are completely loveable. They are smart, funny, and have jobs or roles that children that age definitely should not have.

I don’t like to go into too much detail on sequels so I will keep it short and sweet. If you loved A Series of Unfortunate Events I definitely encourage you to pick up this series. It doesn’t matter if you’re an adult, in fact, sometimes I think adults can take more from Lemony Snicket’s work than children can. I think no matter how old you are you can take something from these books and have fun while reading them. I’m glad I picked them up for this read-a-thon.

xx

Jacqueline

The Ocean at the End of the Lane: Book Review

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Publisher: William Morrow Books
Published: June 18th, 2013
Genre: Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Source: Christmas Gift
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis 

Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn’t thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she’d claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly’s wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.

My Thoughts:

This review is going to be short and sweet. Mostly because it was a short book, but also because I feel that it is one of those books that you need to go into a bit blind. This was my first Neil Gaiman novel to read and I can tell you I was not disappointed. This book is magical and mysterious and very, very bizarre. It was sad and spooky and basically just made you feel a lot of things. It had me thinking about what it’s like to be a child and what it is like to be an adult.

“Grown-ups don’t look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they’re big and thoughtless and they always know what they’re doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. Truth is, there aren’t any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world.”

If, as a child, you ever felt lonely or scared, lost or hopeless, confused or foolish, this book is for you. So, basically everyone. This book is for everyone. Anyone who has experienced childhood can take something from this book. That’s why it is so hard to explain why it’s a good read or what it’s about.

“I lived in books more than I lived anywhere else.”

The characters are relatable. The magic feels real. This is most definitely a book I can see myself coming back to in the future. I have already recommended it to a few people and I will definitely continue to do so. This was my first read for 2015 and it definitely set the bar high. I’m interested in picking up many more of Neil Gaiman’s books… but first, project TBR.

Any recommendations for Neil Gaiman’s other novels? Has anyone read this one? What did you think? 

xx

Jacqueline