Tag: book review


Jun
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1) by Sarah J Maas

categories: Books, Reviews

A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.1)A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Picking up a few months after the events of “A Court of Wing and Ruin”, this is more of a “Where Are They Now” kinda novel (why so much shopping, Feyre? Are you shopping for the entire Night Court? Are you bored coz you have so much money you don’t know what to do???). This book takes a look at everything and everyone post-war and while life at the Night Court is pretty good, not everyone is happy. Nesta is going through some odd angry phase (as always), faeries are mourning the lost of loved ones in the war and the future of Prythian is uncertain. While this is a pretty sweet book there is the air of this being the calm before the storm.
I used to think that Sarah J Maas couldn’t write anything that was not incredibly depressing, heart-breaking or involves multiple people being killed. This book was a pleasant change of pace.
Originally I found this book pretty slow and boring but eventually I grew to enjoy it. It was the happy ending we all deserved after all the horrors of ACOMAF and ACOWAR. This was a great read and my only regret was that it was not published during Christmas. This was a wonderful, feel-good read which I devoured in hours!

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May
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (Grisha Verse #2)

categories: Books, Reviews

Siege and Storm (Grisha Verse, #2)Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Picking up shortly after the first book, Alina and Mal try to live a regular life away from Grisha magic and the problems that come along with it. However it isn’t long before they are discovered by the Darkling and his new team of monsters (Seriously that guy is like a damn roach. CAN HE NOT DIE?)
The Darkling still has plans for Alina and her magic. But Alina is not the girl she once was and will not go quietly. I loved how Alina’s character has developed. She is stronger and more sure of herself.
However, the more she tries to fight against the Darkling and his power to save Ravka, the more issues she seems to create between herself and Mal.
This book would make an excellent drinking game if you took a shot everytime Alina called “Mal”or everytime they had issues. I understand that they are still teens and angst is part of the YA world but COME ON! Can’t they be like Kaz and Inej and put their issues aside for a while? There is an entire world at stake.
I feel like at this point I am just tolerating them just so I can find out what happens to the Grisha. I ship Grisha. Mal and Alina can go be fed to the Darkling’s monsters.
That being said, the ending of this book blew me away and I had to get the next one immediately. Mal and Alina have one more book to stop getting on my nerves with their teenage relationship issues.

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May
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo

categories: Books, Reviews

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Picking up shortly after “Six of Crows”, “Crooked Kingdom” follows Kaz and his gang as they plan their revenge after being double-crossed. Kaz wants his money and he wants his Wraith back. This is both personal and business. But while Kaz and the team are trying to stay alive, avoid the police and save Inej, Ketterdam is overrun with foreigners hoping to cash in on jurda parem in some way. There is also a new threat to Grishas (because when it rains, it pours) everywhere- a new type of being hunting the Grisha.
I felt like this book had a slower pace than “Six of Crows” but I enjoyed how this book showed that even the great Kaz Brekker makes mistakes and can be caught in his own traps. After finishing this book, I was left heart-broken and desperately needed more. After binge-reading this series it was impossible to think that I would no longer wake up and go to work while listening to this story. I needed to know more about these characters and their lives. What were their childhoods like? When would I see them again? What were they doing at this exact moment? Are they okay? I developed a very unhealthy attachment to this world and I love it. This was a compelling read and I loved the many plot twists and turns. I can’t wait to read the other books set in the Grishaverse.

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Apr
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

categories: Books, Reviews

The Perfect GirlfriendThe Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“The Perfect Girlfriend” follows Juliette, a possessive and slightly psycho ex-girlfriend who is determined to show her ex, Nate that she’s perfect for him in every single way and dumping her was a mistake. She gets a job as an airhostess at the airline he works at, she stores his favourite snacks in his apartment and she tries to stop him from dating anyone else.
The first 150 pages was painfully slow and I didn’t enjoy it at all. And then I did what I always do when it comes to mystery novels and I skipped to the end (DON’T DO THIS). What I found left me speechless and I picked the book back up with renewed enthusiasm.
However after reading the entire book I don’t feel like the end is an end. It’s certainly interesting but I feel like there could have been more to the book afterwards.
This was a shocking unpredictable read which I enjoyed however I don’t think it was that memorable (i.e there will be no rereads here). Juliette was great as an unreliable narrator and while her past was tragic I found it overdone. I especially enjoyed her character. She is intriguing, twisted and so very terrifying. It was great seeing everything from her viewpoint and that put an interesting spin on this book.
I don’t think I’ll recommend this to anyone because I simply found it okay (although if you’re someone who enjoys mysteries and thrillers, you might be interested in this book).

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Apr
2018

Book Review- Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

categories: Books, Reviews

Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1)Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I decided to reread this series before I tackle Hero at the Fall. I was in a reading slump when I read Rebel of the Sands AND Traitor to the Throne so I needed to renew my excitement for this series before it ends.
Amani dreams of leaving her deadbeat town and when she encounters Jin, she gets the opportunity to do so. But on their way out of the town, the two of them keep getting caught up in trouble, adventures and encountering mystical creatures (none of which I have EVER seen before). The only way I can describe this novel without spoiling anything is to say that it is totally unique. It was surprising and unpredictable and I loved every second of it. Since I read this so long ago and was in such an awful book slump , I also couldn’t remember lots of details about this book. Rereading was a great way to get back into this world and I can’t wait to binge-read the rest of this series. If you haven’t read this yet, now is the perfect time to binge the series.

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Apr
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Winter Glass by Lexa Hillyer

categories: Books, Reviews

Winter Glass (Spindle Fire #2)Winter Glass by Lexa Hillyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I cannot remember the last time I binge-read a book especially one that was over 300 pages. This was a wonderfully compelling read and I couldn’t go to bed until I finished it.
Winter Glass picks up immediately after Spindle Fire (so if you haven’t read that already, pick it up before you get this). Aurora’s engagement to William is planned while Isabelle plans to create an army to fight the upcoming war. However, much like the first book the sisters are soon separated and left to find their identity independent of each other.
I love how this is a story of two sisters who love each other so much that they would do anything to save the other.. This book was compelling, well written with great world-building. I kind of wish that the world was expanded on though because I loved the fae and their customs here. I also enjoyed how the cliche love triangle plot device was used in this novel. It is done very cleverly and very beautifully. (Again, for the first time in a long time, this was a love triange that DIDN’T make me roll my eyes.
I found the ending a bit lacking- after so much doom and terror, I had expected more. However I did love the way this book ended. It was beautiful. READ THIS BOOK NOW.
Four stars because this isn’t a book I would reread in a hurry (it is great but I feel like it is too heavy for a reread) but I did enjoy this book immensely. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy or books about the fae.

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Mar
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- I’ll Give You The Sun

categories: Books, Reviews

I'll Give You the Sun

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Back in 2014, everyone seemed to be talking about this book. I got myself a Kindle copy and I was unimpressed. Noah’s tone annoyed me and the whole story seemed to drag.
I recently bought it on Audible during a sale and I’m glad I did. This was a wonderful, moving read and I am so happy I gave it another try.
This book is told in two parts in two different time frames by both Noah and Jude. Noah and Jude were once inseparably but then something tore them apart. Now they can barely stand to be around each other and it’s like the two of them have switched personalities. What neither Noah or Jude know is that each of them has a secret that could finally help to restore their shattered family. I started listening to this book on Audible but eventually reverted back to the eBook whenever it became impossible for me to listen. I could not stay away from this story. I NEEDED to know what was going to happen and how. I actually wanted to crawl into this book and scream at the characters- something that has not happened since I was a kid.
This book had me crying at times but I loved it nonetheless. This was an emotional read but so worth it. If you’re looking for something a bit different, definitely give this a try. This book deserves it’s hype.

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Mar
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- The Woman in The Window

categories: Books, Reviews

The Woman in the Window

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Anna has agoraphobia and spends her days watching her neighbours, drinking large amounts of wine and taking the wrong dosage of pills. When the Russells move in, Anna befriends the mother and son. But one day, Anna sees something in the Russells house that she was not supposed to. But who is going to believe someone who has a drinking problem AND medications that may induce hallucinations?
From the first very second that I heard about this book from a fellow book blogger, I knew I wanted to read it. I’m not really a fan of mysteries (usually I get bored and skip to the end but that didn’t happen this time) but this was definitely one of my favourite reads for 2018. A. J Finn’s writing is captivating and I was drawn in from the very first page.
Anna is a cliche as an unreliable narrator with a drinking problem but it was difficult to not feel sympathy for her and her trauma.
This book had me guessing throughout and with all of it’s plot twist and turns. Despite my best efforts, I did figure out a few pieces of the puzzle only for the book to throw me another surprise. I LOVED IT. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for their next read. This book took me on a roller-coaster ride and I loved it!

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Mar
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- The Trouble With Flirting by Rochelle Morgan

categories: Books, Reviews

The Trouble with Flirting (The Trouble Series, #2)The Trouble with Flirting by Rochelle Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was much longer than previous ones in the series but it didn’t drag so that was good. Livi makes a very convincing misfit who longs to change her nerd status as she enters college. I loved that this book was so real. I’ve seen so many people struggle with their image the way that Livi did and I was glad for the insight that this book brought me. Originally I thought that the romance would seem cliché but it happened gradually enough to seem natural.
My favorite part was that this book didn’t seem forced to me. It told the story of a rich girl trying to fit in. This story was not rushed. It was written well and there were themes such as friendship, fitting in and infidelity.

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Mar
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #1)

categories: Books, Reviews

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Celaena Sardothien (that name though… How does Sarah J Maas get her character’s names???) is an eighteen-year-old killer who is imprisoned in a mine for her crimes. Her only shot at freedom is to win a competition and work for the king- killing those who are against him. The very same king who basically ruined the lives of everyone.
I liked this book but found it overdone. Everyone kept fawning over Celaena and I honestly didn’t see her appeal. Um, hello she’s a killer.
I loved watching her train for the competition as she makes it clear that while many are obsessed with her looks, she is more than just a pretty face. She is fierce and deadly. It is easy to see why she was the most wanted assassin. I think this book sets the stage for the series really well but it is no “A Court of Thorns and Roses” (which is what I was expecting). Nonetheless I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and is looking for a series for more than a few books out.

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