March Wrap-Up 2018

*Image not mine

March was a decent reading month for me with 6 books; 4 audios, a graphic novel and a regular novel. I also DNFed (did not finish) a book.

As I go to the cinemas quite frequently, I decided to add in another section where I talk about the films I saw. I also added a section for book events I’ve attended.

The Books

All titles link to Goodreads

What Happened

By Hillary Rodham Clinton

4 Stars

Hillary Clinton’s account of the 2016 election shed light on how things ended up as they did, featuring insights into what went down with Bernie Sanders, Russia’s interference, the emails, Trump, and the rampant racism and sexism within America. Hillary lays down the facts in a plain and (for the most part) understandable way, making it accessible to the general public.

That said, it is taken for granted that readers are familiar with the American political system. As an Australian, that was not the case for me – though I have watched West Wing, which helped more than you’d anticipate.

Though I had the option of reading the physical version of What Happened I decided to listen to the audio instead. That it was narrated by Hilary was important to me (plus, the hardback is a brick) and while her voice isn’t necessarily the most engaging, it did grow on me and I would recommend it.

Overall, I found What Happened to be an interesting, important and enlightening read.

Unicorn of Many Hats (Phoebe and Her Unicorn #7)

By Dana Simpson

5 Stars

This series brings me so much joy. Everything is pure and hilarious and it’s my everything. Family, friendship, awesomeness. The art style is also great. I have no doubt I will be rereading this series soon.

Obsidio (The Illumunae Files #3)

By Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

5 Stars

Obsidio is a masterpiece; it is all I could have wanted and more. The characters, the plot, the messages… I loved it all.

Obsidio is surprisingly political and has a large focus on the ramifications of war. But more than anything, it showcases the complicated, multifaceted nature of humanity.

Though I could go on forever, I will simply say this: everything ties in together, AIDAN is the best, the girl power is real, many emotions will be felt, perspective is everything & Amie and Jay are evil geniuses.

Read it, listen to it, and force it upon your friends because The Illuminae Files deserves all the hype and more.

The Belles (The Belles #1)

By Dhonielle Clayton

 

3.5 Stars

I have several mixed feelings about this book.

I really liked the world and the social commentary that is subtly woven into The Belles. I found Sofia to be complex, dynamic and intriguing. I also enjoyed how dark the story got and the underlying discussion of ethics.

That said, on a more surface level I wasn’t particularly a fan. Though I bought and understood Camellia’s naiveté, she wasn’t a particularly compelling character. I wasn’t a fan of the romance, finding it a bit lacking (and the hint of a love triangle? No that you). I feel like I would have enjoyed it better if there was no romance and instead just focused on Camellia and her sisters.

Overall, while I found The Belles to be an easy read with an interesting social commentary, it wasn’t the book for me.

No Way! Okay, Fine.

By Brodie Lancaster

3.5 Stars

No Way! Okay, Fine is an interesting look into feminism, pop culture, misogyny and sexual harassment from an Australian plus-sized woman.

A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet #1)

By Madeleine L’Engle

 

4.5 Stars

A Wrinkle in Time is a wonderful read starring pure, loveable, cinnamon roll characters. It’s filled with friendship and family. Not to mention, there are actual adults present!

A Wrinkle in Time subverts expectations and stereotypes. It demonstrates that the standard school system doesn’t work for everyone, you don’t have to understand something to accept it, and it’s okay to be vulnerable, emotional, to cry – girl or boy.

Though first published over 4o years ago, A Wrinkle in Time is still relevant and enjoyable today. If you prefer audio books, the narration on this one is excellent.

Note: If you have read and loved A Wrinkle in Time, you’ll likely also love the Fairyland series by Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads | Review).

Ready Player One

By Ernest Cline

Did Not Finish

I got 50 pages in and decided that this was not the book for me. From what I could tell, the world seemed fairly interesting but I really didn’t care about Wade or anything else. I’m also not into 80s pop culture so I found the endless trivia incredibly boring. Maybe I’ll pick this up another time but I highly doubt it.

Movies

Red Sparrow

I was really hoping to like this, but it definitely fell flat for me. While the use of music was good, I was bored and didn’t care about the characters or their situations. I went into the film expecting it to be more political, with less nudity and at least some chemistry between the characters. As it was, I was disappointed. If I had gone alone, I likely would have walked out of the cinema part way through. Would not recommend.

A Wrinkle in Time

I loved this movie so much. The actors were amazing (and diverse!), the visuals were stunning and the music excellent. Though different to the book, I loved this interpretation. It was contemporary, the messages were great and the story tight. I just wanted to hug everybody… There was also a Hamilton quote. I feel like I connected more with Charles Wallace in the book (that’s not to say the actor was bad) while I prefer the movie version of Meg. Overall, though both are great in different ways, I think I actually prefer the film to the book.

Tomb Raider

I went into Tomb Raider with incredibly low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. While I wouldn’t call it a favourite, I did really enjoyed it – even more so as I think back on it. I really liked Lara as a character; she gets emotional and scared, she has flaws, and she is the embodiment of perseverance and determination. I also really appreciated how there was no romance but instead a focus on family and camaraderie.

Events

• Tin Heart Book Launch
• Obsidio Book Launch
• The YA Room’s Book Talk: The Belles
• CBCA Middle Grade Panel

Other Notable Points

• I went ice skating for the first time. I’m not particularly good at it (in any sense) but at least I didn’t fall over or cling to the walls too much.

Blog Posts

• February Wrap-Up 2018

Let’s Discuss!

How was your March?

Have you read any of the books I mentioned? If so, what are your thoughts on them?

Have you been to the cinemas lately? If so, what did you see? What did you think?

Did you discover any new favourites? Books, movies, TV shows…?

Please comment below and feel free to link me to your March Wrap-Up or latest post.

February Wrap-Up 2018

*Image not mine

February was a pretty great reading month for me with 12 graphic novels, 2 audio books and a novel.

The Books

All titles link to Goodreads

Batgirl: Son of Penguin (Batgirl: Rebirth #2)

By Hope Larson & Co

5 Stars

This series just keeps getting better. The plot is interesting, the characters engaging and there are so many amazing women! Also some LGBT+ representation which is pretty awesome. I quite like Nightwing and Batgirl together and I loved the Supergirl arc! I can’t wait to read more about Batgirl.

Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy (Lumberjanes #1)

By Noelle Stevenson & Co

3.75 Stars

While it had its moments, I was generally underwhelmed by this graphic novel.

Two of the characters have a crush on each other, which was pretty cute, and some stereotypes were subverted, which was cool. The friendship element was also very good.

I found their near constant use of “what the junk?” slightly irritating and the use of badges from their field guides, while useful in breaking up the narrative, slightly tedious.

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl

By Melissa Keil

4.5 Stars

Funny, emotional and real, The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl is a brilliant story with one of the best endings I’ve come across to date.

Though it took me a while to really get into it, once I passed the 150 page mark I laughed out loud, cried my eyes out and found myself incredibly invested in these characters and their lives.

Friendship, family, anxiety, uncertainty, angst, art, body confidence, food, frustration, self care, small town love and an impending apocalypse all feature in this remarkable Australian novel.

Batgirl: Batgirl of Burnside (Batgirl: The New 52 2.0 #1)

By Cameron Stewart & Co

4 Stars

A solid read. While not as good as the Rebirth titles, this was enjoyable and I’m really liking getting to know Batgirl. I love the friendships, the strong women and learning about Babs’ backstory. Frankie and Black Canary were particularly interesting characters. I can’t wait to read the rest of Batgirl’s New 52 arc.

Nightwing: Better Than Batman (Nightwing: Rebirth #1)

By Tim Seeley & Co

4.5 Stars

An interesting read, that left me intrigued to see how Nightwing’s arc plays out.

Nightwing: Back to Blüdhaven (Nightwing: Rebirth #2)

By Tim Seeley & Co

 

4.5 Stars

Another interesting read, though admittedly I didn’t quite get all the references – particularly to the alternate universe things. However, I appreciated the moral ambiguity and the relationship was very cute.

Nightwing: Nightwing Must Die! (Nightwing: Rebirth #3)

By Tim Seeley & Co

5 Stars

My favourite volume so far, I loved this instalment of Nightwing’s story arc. I laughed, I cried, and I was deeply satisfied. I loved the cameos and the character development. Definitely recommend checking this series out.

Batgirl: The Darkest Reflection (Batgirl: The New 52 #1)

By Gail Simone & Co

4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this look at Batgirl – her past, her present, her relationships, her suffering. She’s flawed, has panic attacks and was in a wheelchair for three years. She struggles and she suffers, but she gets through it. I particularly liked seeing the beginning of her relationship with Alysia, though I have no idea what to think of Barbara’s unexpected visitor.

Batgirl: Knightfall Descends (Batgirl: The New 52 #2)

By Gail Simone & Co

5 Stars

This was ridiculously good. Not only did we get Batgirl’s origin story, but Knightfall Descends features complex characters, an engaging plot, plot twists, character development and was just a brilliant time. The cameo from Dinah was also excellent.

Batgirl is my kind of hero – she became her own white knight and wins the day because she’s clever and determined.

Batgirl: Death of the Family (Batgirl: The New 52 #3)

By Gail Simone & Co

4.5 Stars

This was a pretty great volume. Everything with James… that was interesting, to say the least. The revelation about Alysia only made me me love her more. And the ending? Excellent.

However, I do have one main gripe: the issue with Batman and the Joker was extremely confusing in terms of timeline as well as what was actually going on.

Batgirl: Wanted (Batgirl: The New 52 #4)

By Gail Simone & Co

5 Stars

“Wait for a hero?

Barbara James Gordon– be your own damn hero.”

Probably the best volume of Batgirl’s New 52 run, Wanted was a great, engaging read that left me wanting more.

Batgirl: Deadline (Batgirl: The New 52 #5)

By Gail Simone & Co

3.5 Stars

Honestly? While the big team up was great, overall Deadline was a disappointment – particularly the ending. At times I also found it a bit confusing.

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey: Who is Oracle? (Batgirl and the Birds of Prey: Rebirth #1)

By Julie Benson & Co

5 Stars

A fantastic, engaging read full of girl power and awesomeness.

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)

By Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

5 Stars

No matter how many times I read this story, I fall in love with it every time.

I’d forgotten how amazing Illuminae was, and the audio format made it even more so. With a full cast, sound effects and some excellent directing/production choices, the audio (and story) had me hooked.

Due to the format, the audiobook was unable to include the visual aspects of the original text. I do not believe this negatively affected the story.

The voices of the Illuminae Group and, later, the afflicted were downright eerie and creepy respectively, and the accents and inflections behind the entire cast’s performances were brilliant. Overall, the high production quality coupled with amazing source material made for an excellent reading experience.

Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2)

By Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

5 Stars

Even better the second time around, Gemina is another brilliant instalment to The Illuminae Files. This time I listened to the audio book, which was a great decision. With excellent voice acting, sound effects, accents and production choices coupled with an already amazing story and authentic characters, the audio production of Gemina is one not to be missed.

Blog Posts

• January Wrap-Up 2018

Other Notable Points

• I saw the play of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time with a close friend of mine. The play was interesting and the experience was even better because I saw it with her.
• Black Panther was released. As a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (particularly the Thor movies) I can safely say that Black Panther is my favourite so far. Not only is it incredibly enjoyable to watch but from a critical standpoint it is also brilliant. The themes, execution and characters were excellent. Furthermore, Black Panther is not only filled with strong, complicated black characters but amazing black women too.
• I started my first year of University, which I’m equally excited and nervous about.

Let’s Discuss!

How was your February?

Have you read any of the books I mentioned? If so, what are your thoughts on them?

Did you discover any new favourites? Books, movies, TV shows…?

Please comment below and feel free to link me to your February Wrap-Up or latest post.

January Wrap-Up 2018

* Image not mine

This month I managed to read 18 books, which I’m rather proud of. Admittedly, it’s largely because most of them are graphic novels, but still.

The Books

All titles link to Goodreads

Phoebe and Her Unicorn (Phoebe and Her Unicorn #1)

By Dana Simpson

5 Stars

An absolutely adorable and hilarious read. The illustrations and story alike are beautiful, with the characters so vibrant and full of sass. 100% recommend for all ages.

Note: There are a few continuity errors but that is because it was originally published as a series of daily comics.

Unicorn on a Roll (Phoebe and Her Unicorn #2)

By Dana Simpson

5 Stars

Another brilliant and hilarious instalment to this series. I loved every minute of it, including times when I literally laughed out loud. Phoebe’s relationship with her parents is also fantastic and very real.

The introduction from Lauren Faust was excellent and hit on some great points.

Phoebe and her Unicorn is definitely a new favourite series of mine.

Unicorn vs. Goblins (Phoebe and Her Unicorn #3)

By Dana Simpson

5 Stars

Another fun and adorable adventure.

Fence Volume 1

By C. S. Pacat & Johanna the Mad (Artist)

3.5 Stars

A solid read, I feel like I’ll appreciate this a lot more once I’ve read the next instalments as this one was so short.

Star Wars: Legacy Volume 1

By John Ostrander & Co

5 Stars

Damn. Though not cannon, this is an epic story arc. Though part of the overall franchise, it definitely stands on it’s own.

A heck of a lot happens within this single compendium and I’m here for it. The characters are compelling, the plot intriguing and twists surprising. It also has some pretty awesome, complicated female characters which is great.

I’m so glad I picked it up and definitely recommend it to any Star Wars fan – even those with perhaps passing interests.

Note: The cover is irritatingly misleading as the characters depicted are very minor and hold little relevance for the story as a whole.

Razzle Dazzle Unicorn (Phoebe and Her Unicorn #4)

By Dana Simpson

5 Stars

Unicorn Crossing (Phoebe and Her Unicorn #5)

By Dana Simpson

5 Stars

The Magic Storm (Phoebe and Her Unicorn #6)

By Dana Simpson

5 Stars

Probably my favourite of the series so far, The Magic Storm is a fun read with great messages about family, friendships, platonic relationships and acceptance. It features real, relatable characters whom you can’t help but love and brings magic into everyday life. Additionally, the artwork is fantastic.

Winnie the Pooh (Winnie the Pooh #1)

By A. A. Milne & E. H. Shepard (Illustrator)

3 Stars

Very cute but a bit of a disappointment. This is likely because I grew up with the animated version which is slightly different (and better). Also, there’s no Tigger! Furthermore, I found some elements to be slightly problematic (see Rabbit, chapter seven).

Akarnae (The Medoran Chronicles #1)

By Lynette Noni

5 Stars

This was a re-read for me.

Marketed as Harry Potter cross Narnia, Akarnae is the first in an easy to read fantasy series by an Australian author.

Featuring a strong focus on friendship, great characters, a sentient library, a boarding school for the gifted in a parallel world, adventure and magic, Akarnae is a definite favourite of mine.

Raelia (The Medoran Chronicles #2)

By Lynette Noni

5 Stars

This was another re-read for me.

So many feelings… Raelia is even better than Akarnae, stepping things up to the next level on many accounts.

Everything was amazing, and I especially loved getting to know the new characters – particularly Kaiden and Declan – in addition to our favourites.

Suffice to say, I’m beyond glad that I am able to immediately pick up Draekora.

Draekora (The Medoran Chronicles #3)

By Lynette Noni

5 Stars

I am not okay. This book… this book. Draekora is everything I hoped for and far, far more. Everything is completely turned on it’s head and it is glorious. There’s one character who ripped my heart out (okay, three, but one’s a dragon so what can you expect?) and it was glorious. Also, did I mention dragons? Well, draekons. Lynette’s books just keep getting better, and I can’t wait for the next one to completely destroy me…

Yellow

By Megan Jacobson

4 Stars

Though it took me a while to get into this book, Yellow was a very interesting read with flawed characters, real issues, overarching themes and an ability to draw tears from my eyes. At its heart, Yellow is about growing up, dealing with strife, friendship, identity and the unreliable nature of truth. There is also a lot of character development in multiple fronts, which is great.

I found it a really interesting look at small town life in Australia. It also does a really great job at paying homage to teachers and libraries.

I’d recommend going in knowing as little as you can and letting the story pan out with no particular expectations.

I will also note that the ending was excellent and really worked for the book – it’s definitely one of the best that I’ve read.

Trigger warnings for and mentions of alcoholism, bullying, parental separation, cheating, drug use, depression and suicide.

Graevale (The Medoran Chronicles #4)

By Lynette Noni

5 Stars

Another great instalment for The Medoran Chronicles, Graevale features great character development, swift plot movement and unexpected twists. It was engaging and I read it in a single sitting. These characters are amazing and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.

Batgirl: Beyond Burnside (Batgirl: Rebirth #1)

By Hope Larson & Co

5 Stars

A fun read and a great introduction to Batgirl. I especially loved the last part with Poison Ivy and Frankie seems pretty awesome. I also loved how female-centric it was. I can’t wait to read the rest of these.

Ms Marvel: Damage Per Second (Ms Marvel #7)

By G. Willow Wilson & Co

5 Stars

After the events of Civil War II, I wasn’t sure how I was going to like this instalment but it was absolutely fantastic.

Probably my favourite Ms. Marvel comic, Damage per Second is a celebration of friendship, humanity and nerdiness, while also acknowledging and dealing with feelings of loss, loneliness and bullying.

Ms Marvel: Mecca (Ms Marvel #8)

By G. Willow Wilson & Co

5 Stars

Another great read. I really enjoyed the positive religious overtones, the messages about family, the return of an old friend and the recognition of the need for self-care.

Evermore

By Isabelle Carmody & Daniel Reed (Illustrator)

2 Stars

I was not a fan of this book; it just didn’t do it for me. The story and art was fine but I just didn’t care. Also, I felt the ending was unlikely and the romance lacking. It wasn’t great but I hope other people can enjoy it.

Other Notable Points

• I was able to attend Penguin Teen Australia’s Showcase which was great, the highlight being an early screening of Love, Simon (adapted from Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda) which was beyond amazing and ridiculously adorable. Love, Simon comes out in cinemas on March 29.
• I was lucky enough to be invited to speak on a panel at The YA Room’s YA Day which was amazing and rather surreal. The entire day was a blast and I can’t wait for next year. #YADay was at the #1 trending spot on Twitter which was great, so feel free to check out the tag for live tweets.

Let’s Discuss

How has your January been? Did you read much? Were you at either event that I mentioned? Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?

Please leave a comment down below and feel free to link me your January Wrap-Up or your latest post.

The Color Project

Read on 5th & 8th July, 2017

Author: Sierra Abrams

5 Stars

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bernice Aurora Wescott has one thing she doesn’t want anyone to know: her name. That is, until Bee meets Levi, the local golden boy who runs a charity organisation called The Color Project.

Levi is not at all shy about attempting to guess Bee’s real name; his persistence is one of the many reasons why Bee falls for him. But while Levi is everything she never knew she needed, giving up her name would feel like a stamp on forever. And that terrifies her.

When unexpected news of an illness in the family drains Bee’s summer of everything bright, she is pushed to the breaking point. Losing herself in The Color Project—a world of weddings, funerals, cancer patients, and hopeful families that the charity funds—is no longer enough. Bee must hold up the weight of her family, but to do that, she needs Levi. She’ll have to give up her name and let him in completely or lose the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

For fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson, The Color Project is a story about the three great loves of life—family, friendship, and romance—and the bonds that withstand tragedy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Thank you to Sierra Abrams for providing me with an eARC of The Color Project and Mollie the Reader for hosting the blog tour.

This has in no way influenced my review, all thoughts are my own.

The Color Project is a wonderful, heartwarming novel that captures the essence of interpersonal relationships – family, friendships and romantic. Up there with Queens of Geek, The Color Project is now one of my all-time favourite contemporary novels.

The Color Project features beautiful writing and a gorgeous design. However, the characters were by far the highlight of my reading experience.

First of all, the design of The Color Project is absolutely gorgeous. The cover, the chapter titles, the page breaks… beautiful. It’s definitely one of the prettiest books I’ve ever encountered and it really reflects the book well.

Sierra’s writing is beautiful, which is especially impressive considering this is her debut novel. Bee’s narrative voice is vivid and relatable, made unique through the inclusion of brackets to demonstrate her thought process (i.e. if Bee says one thing the brackets are used to reflect she’s really thinking something else) and “Thing You Should Know About Me [insert random number here]” randomly scattered throughout the text. The language, which is very contemporary with familiar colloquialisms, coupled with the incorporation of instant messaging conversations and references to current media such as The Book Thief and Hamilton, further allows the reader to be immersed in Bee’s narration.

Another unique formatting element is the fact that the chapter names are song titles. Personally, the only music I really listen to is Hamilton and Disney so I glossed over this part but for those who are interested, Sierra has compiled a Spotify playlist for all of the chapter title songs which can be found here. This element links in well with the story itself as Levi and Bee have several conversations regarding their taste in music.

Bee, our narrator, is a relatable, realistic character who is struggling with her own insecurities, identity and the pressure of not knowing what she wants to do with her life. She is also a bookworm (and book pusher) which I always love seeing. As challenges arose I didn’t always agree with how she dealt with them but I did understand where she was coming from when making her decisions.

Sadly, it’s incredibly rare to find present, positive family relationships within young adult literature as most novels either feature dead, absent or terrible parents – it’s almost as trite as the line “I let out a breath I hadn’t realised I was holding”. That said, Bee’s family were active and realistic; they teased and sometimes irritated one another but at the end of the day they were always there for each other. Individually Bee’s parents, Chloe and Matt, are wonderful people and great role models. Together, they have an amazing relationship that is actual goals. They are open and honest with each other and it’s apparent to all that they’re still madly in love. Bee’s siblings, Tom, Astrid and Millie, all have distinct personalities and were very much 3D characters.

Levi is an adorable cinnamon roll, a “precious heart”, and I love him so much. Not only is he incredibly kind, sweet, generous and selfless, but at the mere age of nineteen he runs his own charity – The Color Project – which administers financial aid to anyone who asks for it. His mother, Suzie, is equally amazing and I just want to hug them both and protect them from the world. Suffice to say, Levi is currently my top book boyfriend, even over Rhys from A Court of Mist and Fury and Jamie from Queens of Geek.

The Color Project is full of wonderful, kind, generous human beings. Gretchen, Bee’s best friend who lives across the county; Tracy, Bee’s manager at the flower shop; Ludwig, the delivery man; and all the volunteers at The Color Project are just a few of them.

Thus, in spite of the slightly darker themes that appear later in the narrative and a handful of terrible, selfish people, The Color Project leaves an overall light, fluffy, optimistic impression. It shows readers that yes, the world can be harsh, but it can be beautiful too.

The Color Project takes a relatively unique approach to relationships. Personally, I’ve found that young adult novels – particularly contemporaries – tend to build up to the moment the couple gets together and then stop. There usually isn’t anything past that; no models for navigating relationships, nothing on how to appropriately deal with conflict once the “honeymoon period” has gone by. The Color Project effectively navigates these waters; the relationship is developed, Bee and Levi start dating (and believe me, it’s adorable) but because of outside factors and some communication errors, there is hardship. To me, this is an incredibly important inclusion because that’s often how life is.

In terms of romantic relationships, I really appreciated that a) Bee wanted to wait until marriage to have sex and b) that her wishes were accepted, with no shame or judgement attached. I am a fan of sex-positive books and I believe they’re important but this element especially stood out to me as it’s something that I value.

Cute, fluffy and heartwarming while also making me ball my eyes out, The Color Project is a new favourite of mine. I loved it wholeheartedly and upon it’s release I will most certainly be shouting at people to read it.

The Color Project is now being released on August 17th as opposed to July 18th. Sierra addressed this in a Twitter thread which you can find here.

Sierra herself is super lovely and approachable. Her website can be found here and her Twitter here.

Let’s Discuss!

Have you heard of The Color Project?

If you’ve read The Color Project, what are your thoughts? If not, have I convinced you to read it upon release?

What are some of your favourite contemporaries?

What are some of your favourite novels featuring strong family relationships?

Please let me know! I love discussing with you guys 🙂

Favourite Reads of 2016 | Wherein I am Extremely Late to the Party

So… it’s now almost half way through 2017, and I still haven’t mentioned my 2016 favourites yet. To that end, here they are:

The books listed are ones that I read for the first time in 2016, not just 2016 releases. They are roughly ranked.

In 2016 I read a total of 105 books. You can click here for the full list.

Unless otherwise specified, the titles link to Goodreads.

The Fairyland Series 

By Catherynne M Valente

This series is adorable and amazing and will forever be one of my all-time favourites. The story is just so imaginative and vibrant, the writing is beautiful and the characters are well-developed and loveable.

The main focus is on friendship, adventure and discovery. Family also plays an increasingly important part as the series progresses, which is awesome to see.

Fairyland is the childhood series I wish I had. I pitch it as Fairy Realm (by Emily Rodda) cross Narnia – the issue is, not many people have read the Fairy Realm series.

I listened to the audiobooks which I 100% recommend doing if you can. Not only are the audios themselves amazing but the style of the books are such that there is a narrator telling you the story, which makes it a perfect audiobook. Also, the author narrates 3/5 of the series, which is amazing.

I also highly recommend this series if you want to get into listening to audiobooks but don’t know where to start.

This is a series that I started in 2015 but finished in 2016, so it still counts.

You can find my full review of the first book here.

Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1)

By Jay Kristoff

I cannot recommend Nevernight highly enough.

A high fantasy featuring blood, death, violence, gore, sass, explicit scenes and what is essentially an assassin training school, Nevernight is a heap of fun with several unexpected plot twists.

The writing itself is fantastic – setting aside the footnotes, which get progressively more sassy and less full of world building as the story goes on – from the first chapter I found the writing engaging and extremely clever.

Surprisingly enough, I read Nevernight before I’d been exposed to any hype. I knew Jay’s writing from Illuminae so when I saw a poster advertising the book launch for Nevernight I decided to give it a go – and I’m ridiculously glad I did.

I will also say that the Australian & UK edition is so much prettier than the US – which is definitely a novel experience.

That said, there has been talk that the racial representation is slightly problematic,  so take that as you will.

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

By Sarah J. Maas

While I enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses well enough, on retrospect it wasn’t that great. I’d deliberately stayed way from any mention of A Court of Mist and Fury so I was surprised and ecstatic to find that ACOMAF blew me away. As I now say, ACOTAR is simply a necessary evil to reach ACOMAF.

ACOMAF has a fantastic, engaging plot and is full of amazing characters, major character development, and a subtle but apt discussion about unhealthy relationships, PTSD, personal growth, friendships and the impact of people on our lives as we ourselves grow and change.

If you want to get into Sarah’s writing, but Throne of Glass seems too daunting (those books are massive) and you don’t mind a bit of mature content then I would definitely suggest starting with these books.

Essentially, this book is absolutely fantastic and if you’re even slightly inclined to pick it up, please do.

You can find my full review here.

The Medoran Chronicles

By Lynette Noni

Marketed as Harry Potter cross Narnia, The Medoran Chronicles is a fantasy series by an Australian author that reads somewhat like a contemporary (to me, at least).

Featuring a strong focus on friendship, great characters, a sentient library, a boarding school for the gifted in a parallel world, adventure and magic, Akarnae is a definite favourite of mine. Raelia, the second instalment, also features fae and a hint of romance while Draekora (which I have unfortunately not yet read though I desperately need to) features dragons.

The Splintered Trilogy

By A. G. Howard 

A somewhat gothic, contemporary Alice in Wonderland retelling (with gorgeous covers!), Splintered is a captivating, whimsical, fantastic read featuring one of the only well-written love triangles I’ve read.

Great for marathoning, I read each of the instalments in a single sitting and the trilogy as a whole over barely four days.

I am a huge fan of this series and I really loved how it concluded. Everything about this book was fantastic and I love it to pieces.

If you feel like Splintered might be your thing, I 100% suggest going for it.

The Raven Cycle

By Maggie Stiefvater 

The Raven Cycle is one of the series that had been sitting unread on my shelf for over a year, and on my TBR before that – despite the fact that I was sure I would love it (spoiler alert: I did). Thanks to the shrieking recommendation from Cait at Paper Fury and Sam on Twitter, I finally picked it up – my only regret being that I didn’t read it sooner.

A whimsical, distinctly character-driven series, The Raven Cycle is extremely hard to categorise – it reads like a contemporary but one might tentatively label it as magical realism.

I have so much love for this series. The writing, the characters, the friendships, the relationships, the plot, the mythology… but mostly the characters.

The characters definitely make the books, it is their story just waiting to be written. They are some of the most dynamic and real characters I have ever read and I love them, and I love how they love each other – the overarching rightness of it all.

Admittedly, I wasn’t particularly a fan of Adam to begin with, but that just highlights another great characteristic of the series – it’s fantastic and realistic character development. There is also a great LGTB relationship.

There is no doubt: this book, this narrative, is cyclical, and it is made all the more beautiful due to the nature of this series – how it plays with time.

The Raven Cycle is about hope, growth and making your own path but knowing some things are meant to be. 100% recommend.

Trigger warning for domestic abuse.

Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2)

By Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman 

While I didn’t like Gemina quite as much as Illuminae I still really enjoyed it. Despite it being over 600 pages, the format and the fast pace meant that I finished it in a single day (and a school day none the less).

I really enjoyed the new characters we were introduced to, though it took me a little longer than with Kady and Ezra. Nick and Hannah were pretty great, though Ella was by far the standout. Ella was severely disabled but she didn’t let that stop her – she was sassy and amazing and an incredibly talented hacker.

In this instalment we also meet Isaac, Kady’s dad, which was great.

I will say, I went into Gemina expecting the surviving crew from Illuminae to come in around half way through, but it was more like two thirds.

I loved all the plot twists – which are essentially staples in both Amie and Jay’s writing. The character one was great, but at the end when we find out what “gemina” means? Genius. (And yes, I am being deliberately vague, thank you for noticing).

There is also much sass, which I always appreciate.

Suffice to say, I recommend this series to pretty much everyone and I can’t wait for Obsidio (in which my name will be included!)

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

By Becky Albertalli 

An adorable, fun read featuring a gay protagonist and nerd culture appreciation Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda is a book that I should have read ages ago, but which was entirely worth the wait.

The relationship was adorable and fantastic and I love it.

The focus on family was refreshing as most YA books tend to wither feature negative relationships or absent families. The friendships were also prominent and great.

Note: You will likely crave oreos while reading this book. Just putting it out there.

Anyway, I love it, should have read it sooner and must now impasse upon you all the importance of reading this book ASAP.

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)

By Sarah J. Maas

I love this series to death and have loved it for several years. Therefore, it is no surprise that I absolutely loved Empire of Storms even though, in retrospect, it’s not exactly Sarah’s best work.

Even though it came out on a school day, I devoured it – finishing it barely a day after its release. There’s definitely something to be said about that feeling.

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1)

By Leigh Bardugo 

So, after much delay, I finally picked up Six of Crows and, as anticipated, absolutely loved it.

The plot twists were amazing and the heists excellent, but the characters are what really made it for me – The wit, the chemistry, the genius… I loved it all (especially Kaz). I also just love books surrounding anti-heroes.

The diversity and representation is excellent, featuring characters suffering from chronic disability and PTSD as well as of racial minorities and LGBT orientation (the latter of which I actually hadn’t picked up, but which I believe is explored more in Crooked Kingdom).

Though I’m still not 100% sure that it’s necessary to read the Grisha trilogy before Six of Crows, it definitely helps in terms of understanding the magic system and overall context. I’m also glad that I listened to the audiobooks of the Grisha trilogy as it definitely helped my mental pronunciations of the various terms that otherwise I would have had no idea.

I will say, I kept getting distracted by the sheer beauty of the physical book. I managed to score the black stained hardback and it is utterly gorgeous – the colours are so deep and (again) gorgeous.

I definitely recommend this book and can’t wait for the next one.

Infinity (The Infinity Division #1)

By Jus Accardo

How do you know it’s love if you’ve only ever experienced it once? What can you really know about a person when you only glimpse them? How do you know happiness is real? How do you separate your feelings for someone if they look exactly the same as the last person you loved?

A surprisingly brilliant read, Infinity features fantastic characters, a great plot, and a focus on perspective. While it had the potential to be extremely tropey and filled with instalove it (thankfully) was anything but that.

Very much a character-driven novel, Infinity was a thought-provoking read complete with a compelling plot.

Infinity focuses on the complexity of humanity and the morally grey area; when is it okay to kill someone? Is the death penalty ever okay? If someone close to you has broken the law or is planning to, where do your loyalties lie? What is the right thing to do?

You can find my full review here.

Kasie West

Great for getting out of a reading slump or just for an enjoyable read, Kasie West’s books are lighthearted and fluffy with cute (if somewhat angst-ridden) relationships.

The Distance Between Us

A fun story to read in one sitting, The Distance Between Us is full of vibrant characters and dynamics, sarcasm, banter and wit. It has people being people, raw and unfiltered.

On the Fence

Another fun, light read, On the Fence was exactly what I needed to get me out of my slump – I breezed through it in a single sitting.

Reminiscent of Sarah Dessen (who got me into contemporary) it has great characters, an interesting story and deals with more serious issues of identity and family.

The Fill-In Boyfriend

While not my favourite work of hers, The Fill-In Boyfriend was still a great read.

Highlights include expansive character development, a focus on family and friendships, as well as encouraging us all to be better, more authentic and open people.

Kasie has definitely earned her place as one of my favourite contemporary authors and I look forward to reading more from her.

Let’s Discuss!

Even through I’m late to the party, what were some of your favourites of last year?

Have you read any books on my list? Are any on your TBR?

What are some of your favourite books so far this year?

Please share your thoughts, I’d love to discuss with you!

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland #1)

Finished on 10th April, 2017 (Re-Read)

Author: Catherynne M. Valente

5 Stars

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Anyone who knows me well will likely be aware that Fairyland is my favourite series of all time; period. Which is saying something because I’ve read and loved a heck of a lot of books. Those who know me well will also likely have had me shove this book in their face – multiple times.

Fairyland is the childhood series I wish I had. I pitch it as Fairy Realm (by Emily Rodda) cross Narnia – the issue is, not many people have read the Fairy Realm series.

The story is universal; it is something that most people can enjoy, even if they don’t usually read middle grade.

Fairyland features fantastic friendships, complex characters, a morally ambiguous villain (who owns a very fine hat), adventure, adroableness, a Wyverary – that is, a wyvern (essentially a dragon) cross Library – and many other whimsical, magical, amazing things and people. (Look out for the key and the green smoking jacket; though inanimate, they are characters in their own right).

The story is so imaginative and vibrant, the writing is beautiful (not at all juvenile) and the characters are well-developed and loveable. The author takes a lot of stereotypes and spins them on their head. There is also a lot of book lover appreciation.

Even though it’s the first of a five book series, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making has a complete arc in itself and could be read as a standalone (but please don’t as the rest of the series is just as wonderful, if not more).

If you like audio books or are thinking of getting into audio books, I 100% recommend Fairyland as I actually prefer the audio format. Not only are the audios themselves amazing but the style of the books are such that there is a narrator telling you the story, which makes for a perfect audiobook. Additionally, the author narrates 3/5 of the series, which is amazing.

Overall, Fairyland is a fun read, though it does get slightly dark. For me, it was even more fantastic the second time round.

If you need further persuasion, it is blurbed by both Neil Gaiman and Holly Black.

 

Let’s Discuss!

Have you read any of the Fairyland series?

Are you planning to? Have I convinced you?

If so, please let me know! Thoughts, feelings, rants, raves…

I would love to discuss with you 😉

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2)

Just a side not before we get into the review: I am aware that I haven’t posted any of my thoughts on Mistborn, but this review has been sitting on the backburner for months and I figured I might as well post it. Just know that I really enjoyed Mistborn and would recommend it.

Also, I will be referring to the first book in this series as Mistborn rather than The Final Empire as that is the title on my copy but they are the same book.

This review may contain mild spoilers for book one.

Finished 10th May, 2016 

Author: Brandon Sanderson

4 Stars

The second instalment in Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy, The Well of Ascension, is a young adult high fantasy with a strong political line, a fascinating magic system and brilliant characters. Following on from Mistborn, Kelsier’s crew are forced to deal with the aftermath of a millennial long empire as well as the intricacies and hardships that come with taking over a kingdom and caring for it – all while being threatened by several other outside forces. I found the characters and the magic system to be what really carried the story for me, as well as some really interesting plot revelations.

As much as I enjoyed this book, for whatever reason The Well of Ascension took me forever to read. As in, I have been “reading” this book since January – January! There are several possible reasons as to why I fell into this minor book slump, one of them being that I had hit a part in the book where I was frustrated with some of the characters and therefore wasn’t that motivated to pick it up and read it. Additionally, I do the majority of my reading in small bits and pieces at school whenever I can fit it in – which usually works really well but being a high fantasy and knowing my particular reading traits, I don’t believe that was the best was to go about this particular novel. To put it into perspective, I read Akarnae and Raelia by Lynette Noni (which are approximately 450 pages each) in less than four days during the period I was “reading” The Well of Ascension.

I do want to reiterate that, in spite of my slight reading slump, I did really enjoy this book. It seems to be that whenever anything is said about Brandon Sanderson the most prominent thing that is mentioned is his writing style. Both Mistborn and The Well of Ascension are testament to that. Brandon Sanderson is brilliant at putting in twists that seem completely out of the blue but, once revealed, the foreshadowing becomes obvious.

Another feature that I really like about The Well of Ascension is that we get to read from the perspectives of pretty much all of our core cast in addition to that of our antagonists and several random perspectives to give insight from outsiders. This change of pace is great for both the slower, more political scenes and the battle-heavy ones. These fluid shifts in points of view are one such example of Sanderson’s great style at work.

I’m not entirely sure what I think of Elend in this instalment. I mean, I still really like him and enjoy his character but he undergoes some changes which I personally feel take away from his character. Also, there is an implication that comes about near the conclusion of this novel that makes me slightly suspicious of him – but I’m not sure if it’s just an evolution of his character or something more sinister at work. There were moments in this book where I loved him intensely and others where I felt somewhat detached. Suffice to say, I have mixed feelings but am interested to see where his character is headed.

Vin is an absolutely fantastic character. She is totally kick-ass and her fighting skills are off the charts (I mean, talk about epic) but she is also a flawed, relatable character. She is honestly one of my favourite characters – period – and that includes those outside Sanderson’s universe. I love how she deals with the conflicts thrown her way and how facing them forces her to evaluate herself and, in turn, grow from those experiences. Vin’s character develops significantly within this instalment but the changes are even more prominent when we consider what she was like when we are first introduced to her in Mistborn. 

Occasionally I tend to find that female protagonists – and sometimes just female characters in general – tend to be somewhat awkward and unrelatable when written by male authors, but I did not find that to be the case with Vin (or any of Sanderson’s other cast) in the least.

The other crew members (read: Breeze, Sazed, Dockson, Spook, Clubs, Ham, OreSeur,etc.) are further developed in The Well of Ascension which is a fun time. I really enjoyed getting to acquaint myself with their distinct personalities and quirks, and they really came into their own in my mind. Sazed, Ham and OreSeur are my particular favourites, with Sazed and OreSeur’s complexities and Ham’s general persona. Both Sazed and OreSeur have some great revelations and are really interesting to hear from. Also, Sazed has an adorable relationship with a new character, who I didn’t initially like but ended up really growing on me (and shall remain unnamed due to possible spoilers). I feel that they have a great connection and their dynamic is fantastic. Sazed’s character arc is a particularly interesting one and I feel like he’s the one that experiences the most development within this instalment.

Aside from Vin, Zane is probably my favourite character in this story. Not only is he complex, experienced and fascinating, but he creates some brilliant tension and conflict within the story and poses an interesting dilemma for Vin. I love their dynamic and find his backstory to be very well-thought out and gripping. We are constantly learning new things about him, yet he remains such a mystery to us. Zane is just such a fun character to read and is a real wild card to add to the mix. The chapters that featured him were probably some of my favourite to read.

If I hadn’t dragged out my consumption of this story and had instead read it at my usual pace, I feel that I would have rated The Well of Ascension 5 Stars. As it stands, even though I really enjoyed it, I feel a slight sense of apathy towards it – induced by my reading experience and not the actual content, I’m sure.

I am going to take a temporary break from this series and pick it back up at a later date when I’m more in the mood to read it and am in the position to read it all at once – or at least in several large chunks. I’m interested to see what that will do to my overall reading and whether I’ll be able to get to all of the shiny new books I’m super excited for or if this reading slump will persevere.

 

Let’s Discuss!

Have you read the Mistborn series? If so, what are your thoughts?

Have you read the third book? How does it compare to the rest of the trilogy?

Have you read any of Brandon Sanderson’s other works? Which ones would you recommend me reading next?

Have you ever written a review for the second book in the series and not for the first? (This also happened to me with the 5th Harry Potter book)

Please leave a comment as I love talking to you guys 🙂

February Wrap-Up 2017

*Image not mine

Hey everyone! This month I managed to read a total of 15 books – mainly because I read a lot of graphic novels and audios, but I’m still pretty happy with it.

Once again, I have a lot of thoughts so this post is rather long.

 

The Books

All titles link to Goodreads

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7)

By J. K. Rowling

5 Stars

Definitely my favourite of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was a great read and a brilliant conclusion.

I found that this instalment was very much character driven. Alberforth, Luna, McGonagall, Dobby, Hermione and Neville were definitely my favourites. I liked Severus’ character and am very conflicted in my feelings for Dumbledore.

As this is a re-read for me, I wasn’t that emotional when it came to the deaths. That said, there were certain scenes that really resonated with me – I won’t list them due to spoilers but feel free to ask and I’ll gladly reminisce.

I’m rather dubious about some of the reasoning around Harry’s wand acting out and the whole thing with the elder wand, but that could be because I watch a whole lot of theory videos (SuperCarlinBrothers explain both of these instances much better in my opinion; here and here respectively).

I’m really glad I reread the series, I feel that it definitely enriched my appreciation for and understanding of the Harry Potter universe.

 

Saga Volume 4

By Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

5 Stars

Another brilliant instalment the the series. As usual, it was a fast, easy read that took me under an hour. The characters are great and the plot is awesome. Definitely recommend.

 

Saga Volume 5

By Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

4.75 Stars

Saga Volume 6

By Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

5 Stars

I seriously love this series. It is so well written, the art is beautiful and it’s just addictive. The family aspect is great, it has a ton of diversity and strong characters. The plot is fantastic and I just can’t wait for the next volume to come out.

 

Ms Marvel: No Normal (Ms Marvel #2)

By G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona

5 Stars

An absolutely amazing instalment, Ms. Marvel: Generation Why had so much packed into it, plot-wise as well as character development.

All the characters are amazing and we got cameos from Wolverine (who was super sassy), Captain America and a few other superheroes. I’m not really a fan of dogs, but Lockjaw was pretty awesome. Bruno was epic as always (#FriendshipGoals) and the focus on family was fantastic. I also really liked Sheikh Adbullah – he was an unexpected delight.

Kamala is by far my favourite though. She is such a fangirl and a nerd, sassy and loyal. I feel she also has a lot of character development as she grows into herself and learns to accept help. She also has some very poignant things to say.

I really liked how the Inhuman plot line (I’m an avid fan of Agents of SHIELD so I know more than some) and I can’t wait to see how everything turns out.

 

Ms Marvel: Crushed (Ms Marvel #3)

By G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona

5 Stars

Okay, so this was actually the best. Not only did we get Loki in the actual comic and Kamala went through her first crush, an identity crisis and ensuing character growth, but at the end we got a mini comic that featured Jemma Simmons and Phil Coulson, who I absolutely love (as afore mentioned I’m a fan of Agents of SHIELD). Jemma in particular was an absolute gem and I absolute loved the interactions between her and Kamala.

 

Ms Marvel: Last Days (Ms Marvel #4)

By G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona

5 Stars

These comics just keep getting better and better!

The characters were the highlight for me. Aside from the AMAZING team-up with Captain Marvel, most of the characters from previous instalments reappeared and were super awesome, breaking stereotypes and coming into themselves.

The family aspect was especially strong in this one – there was one scene in particular that was so beautiful it had me tearing up.

Kamala with a broken heart made me so sad and I just wanted to hug her forever.

Bruno once again continued to be amazing and I really liked how certain things were addressed.

Everything was just super beautiful, fast paced and amazing. Kamala is definitely one of my all-time favourite characters – I love her so much.

Also, we had an awesome team-up with Spider-Man in an extra comic at the end (which I didn’t 100% understand but it was still great).

 

Ms Marvel: Super Famous (Ms Marvel #5)

By G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona

5 Stars

While not my favourite instalment, Ms Marvel: Super Famous was still pretty awesome.

I appreciate how we get to see Kamala stretching herself to the breaking point, but then acknowledging that she needed help and reprioritising her life.

Aamir and Tyesha are so adorable together and I love them. Iron Man was awesome, and his spat with Captain Marvel was hilarious. Mike is super cool – I wasn’t sure how I felt about her to begin with, but she’s really awesome and great for Bruno.

 

Ms Marvel: Civil War II (Ms Marvel #6)

By G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona

5 Stars

This issue has a larger focus on family, morals, loyalty and identity, which I really enjoyed. Justice was also a prominent theme.

I really liked how we got to see a lot of Kamala’s background and family history as it is a huge part of her identity. I also appreciated it’s cyclical nature in Kamala’s character arc.

Kamala is very much a flawed character and we definitely see that in this instalment. Overall I feel like these last few instalments have been necessary character growth for Kamala. Now, I feel like she’s in a good place with herself and hopefully that’ll show through her actions and relationships in the next issue.

 

The Princess Diarist 

By Carrie Fisher

4 Stars

The Princess Diarist was an easy read, providing insight into one most notably known as Princess Leia.

The book was divided into roughly three sections:

1) Life before Leia and Carrie’s affair with Harrison Ford

2) Carrie’s poetry and some diary entries from when she was filming the first Star Wars movie and had her affair

3) Life post-affair

My favourite part was definitely Carrie’s poetry. I hadn’t read much poetry, but from what I could tell it was quite good. However, I would have preferred to physically read it rather than listen to it.

I loved how the audiobook was narrated by Carrie. I also liked how they had a second narrator to come in and read the poems as it gave a youthful tone to it.

While not amazing, I would recommend The Princess Diarist to those who like Star Wars and are interested in Carrie’s life.

 

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

By Mindy Kaling

3 Stars

Prior to reading this memoir, I essentially had no idea who Mindy Kaling was. It was this, perhaps, that made it an entertaining but overall forgettable read.

If I hadn’t listened to the audiobook I highly doubt I would have read this book at all.

 

Princess of Thorns

By Stacey Jay

5 Stars

My favourite read so far this year, I can’t believe I hadn’t picked it up earlier.

Princess of Thorns is one of my new all-time favourite books (and my favourite audiobook next to the Fairyland series).

Why I Loved it: (No particular order)

• Sass
• Banter
• Girl cross-dressing a boy to hide identity
• Warriors
• Kick-ass female character
• Headstrong but flawed and loveable characters
• Hate to love relationship (and then back again? It’s complicated)
• Relationship based on friendship
• NOT instalove
• Fantasy
• Intelligent characters
• Curses + obscure(ish) fairytale retelling(s)
• Character development
• Strong female character challenging society’s perception of females
• Royals
• Plot twists
• Magic
• Morally ambiguous villain
• Great sibling relationships
• Adventure
• People actually being human and smelling during long journeys rather than attractively smelling like cinnamon with constantly fabulous hair.

These aren’t even all the reasons, but I hope they’ve convinced you. It truly is a spectacular novel.

A note on the audiobook. I absolutely love the audiobook for this and I would recommend listening to it if you can. The accents were probably the best part for me; Aurora was vaguely Irish and Nicklaus British – I think, I’m terrible with accents. Either way, it was amazing. I also just really liked the narrator.

Essentially, just everyone go read it now. Especially if you like fantasy or any of the points I’ve listed sound remotely interesting.

 

Caraval (Caraval #1)

By Stephanie Garber

3.75 Stars

Having heard really mixed reviews (mostly of the meh connotation) I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this one.

The writing was great, the world was interesting and overall it was fairly entertaining. I read it in one sitting.

That said, I did have some issues and I really wasn’t a fan of the characters.

You can find my full review here.

 

Fragmented Bliss

By B. J. Rosalind

4 Stars

A beautiful book, I read it in under an hour. While I don’t quite understand all the poems (who really can though?) there were quite a few that were especially amazing.

The writing itself was elegant and sophisticated, yet raw in some parts.

I would definitely recommend, especially if you’re in a poetry phrase like myself.

 

Pygmalion 

By George Bernard Shaw

4 Stars

One of the more accessible classics, Pygmalion is an enjoyable, comedic read with hidden depths.

The film counterpart, My Fair Lady is also rather entertaining and captures the spirit of the original text.

Would recommend.

 

Honorary mentions to my current reads, Cinder and Queens of Geek, as I read most of them in February.

 

Blog Posts

• January Wrap-Up 2017
• Caraval (Caraval #1)
• Infinity (The Infinity Division #1)

 

Other Notable Points

• So far, I have read a total of 21 books this year.
• I finally got my Learners so I can now drive.
• I saw Live by Night and Hidden Figures, which are both amazing movies (Hidden Figures more so)
• I  won an awesome giveaway which entitled me to 8 Audible credits! I got the email the day after I posted my January Wrap-Up, where I professed my love for audiobooks, which was rather amusing timing.
• I attended the second YA Room book talk. This time it was for Caraval and it was held at Dymocks, which was amazing! It was great to see everyone again and meet a few new people. Also, I was once again in the group photo – an occurrence I’m hoping will hold (for those of you who don’t know, more often than not I seem to miss out on group photos). You can find the wrap-up here.

 

Let’s Discuss!

So, what have you been reading lately? Any exciting life occurrences? Any new years resolutions?

Have you read any of the books I listed? If so, what were your thoughts?  Do your opinions differ from mine?

Please leave a comment so that we can discuss!

Infinity (The Infinity Division #1)

Read on 9th November, 2016

Author: Jus Accardo

4.5 Stars

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Nobody said being the daughter of an army general was easy. But when her dad sends a teenage subordinate to babysit her while he’s away… That’s taking it a step too far.

Cade, as beautiful as he is deadly, watches Kori with more than just interest. He looks at her like he knows her very soul. And when he saves her from a seemingly random attack, well, that’s when things get weird.

Turns out, Kori’s dad isn’t just an army general—he’s the head of a secret government project that has invented a way to travel between parallel dimensions. Dimensions where there are infinite Koris, infinite Cades…and apparently, on every other Earth, they’re madly in love.

Falling for a soldier is the last thing on Kori’s mind. Especially when she finds herself in a deadly crossfire, and someone from another Earth is hell-bent on revenge…

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Note: I was sent a copy of this book by Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review.

Infinity was an unexpectedly fantastic read. It had the potential to be extremely tropey and filled with instalove but (thankfully) was anything but that.

Very much a character-driven novel, Infinity was a thought-provoking read (even though I finished it months ago, I still sometimes think about it) complete with a compelling plot.

The characters in Infinity were realistic and flawed.

Kori is posed as a mature, rational person who is able to reasonably deal with issues and communicate well – which are not skills often represented in YA. Her emotions are vivid but she is able to think things through. Having lost her mother to cancer, she has experienced grief, which gives her a unique perspective and understanding when dealing with the other core characters.

Kori was also intelligent. Even though she was constantly placed in bad situations with her life on the line and her entire understanding of her parents was turned upside down, she never whined about it. Instead, she was practical in getting information and formulating a plan.

Cade was interesting. Guilt-ridden and tragic, I really felt for him and appreciated his depth of emotions. His character development was very well done.

I really appreciate the emphasis placed on perspective in this novel. As new information came to life, characters were seen differently, yet the core of them stayed the same.

Noah was a great example of this. At first, he was distanced and antagonistic but then as Kori, and therefore the audience, were explained the reasons as to why he was like this, an understanding formed and he became one of my favourite characters. He was very much a tragic cinnamon roll.

Infinity focuses on the complexity of humanity and the morally grey area; when is it okay to kill someone? Is the death penalty ever okay? If someone close to you has broken the law or is planning to, where do your loyalties lie? What is the right thing to do?

How do you know it’s love if you’ve only ever experienced it once? What can you really know about a person when you only glimpse them? How do you know happiness is real? How do you separate your feelings for someone if they look exactly the same as the last person you loved?

The romance in this book was fantastic – instead of instalove, it focused on potential rather than destiny, while also recognising unhealthy relationships and not labelling them as love.

Unexpectedly, family plays a significant role in Infinity. Although Kori’s mother is dead and her father absent for large portions of the novel, the impact and values they left behind was recognised and realised through the characters’ actions.

As mentioned, the plot itself was great. It was engaging yet realistic, gradually widening the parameters of the world as Kori got to know more, rather than engaging in the well known practice of info-dumping.

In a world of parallel dimensions, how do you define yourself? What makes one Kori different from another? Does fate play a part? What does it mean to interact with people who knew another version of yourself? 

Recommended for fans of Claudia Grey’s Firebird trilogy, character-driven narratives and general parallel dimension plots.

Let’s Discuss!

Have you read Infinity? 

If so, what were your thoughts?

If not, does it sound like something that would interest you? (Please say yes, I really need someone to fangirl discuss with!)

Have you read any other books featuring parallel dimensions? If so, please recommend – it’s a favourite trope of mine but I’ve only read a few.

Caraval (Caraval #1)

Read on 20th February, 2017

Author: Stephanie Garber

3 Stars

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Welcome to Caraval, where nothing is quite what it seems.

Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda, pining from afar for the wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long performance where the audience participates in the show.

Caraval is Magic. Mystery. Adventure. And for Scarlett and her beloved sister Tella it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless, abusive father.

When the sisters’ long-awaited invitations to Caraval finally arrive, it seems their dreams have come true. But no sooner have they arrived than Tella vanishes, kidnapped by the show’s mastermind organiser, Legend.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But nonetheless she quickly becomes enmeshed in a dangerous game of love, magic and heartbreak. And real or not, she must find Tella before the game is over, and her sister disappears forever.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Having heard really mixed reviews (mostly of the “meh” connotation) I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this one.

The writing was great, the world was interesting and overall it was fairly entertaining. I read it in one sitting.

That said, I did have some issues.

I really wasn’t a fan of the characters.

Scarlet grew on me and I actually ended up liking her, Julian was kind of “meh” but I liked him well enough and the little we knew about Legend interested me.

As for everyone else… not really a fan. I understand that dislike for the Governor and the Count is expected but I really disliked Tella; I found her to be selfish and not at all a good sister. I felt that, even though she was the younger sibling, she patronised Scarlet and looked down upon her because she was cautious. I took issue with a lot of her actions and something about her just rubbed me the wrong way.

The plot was interesting and had several unexpected twists. That said, I felt like it romanticised death and suicide, using it as a plot device, which is not cool. There were several instances where it felt unnecessary and I just feel like it wasn’t dealt with well or in a sensitive way at all.

Here’s a link to a good thread on the topic: https://twitter.com/piratesnpixdust/s… However, she does go into spoilers.

Trigger warnings for suicide and parental abuse.

While it was an okay read and I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to anyone, I am intrigued enough to continue with the series.

Let’s Discuss!

Have you read Caraval? If so, what were your thoughts? There seems to be a lot of mixed opinions around this one.

I read Caraval for The Ya Room‘s February book of the month. Are any other fellow Melbournians coming to the discussion next week?