Published May 5th, 2020 by Graphix (first published September 2016)
Genre: YA, Romance, LGBTQ+
Pages: 288
“Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out.
Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn’t think he has a chance.
But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.” -Goodreads
My Review:
I have not read a graphic novel in so long! This one was perfect to get me out of my tunnel down the fantasy rabbit hole.
I picked it up at Target a few days ago. I finished it the next day. I am now anxiously awaiting the second one.
This volume leaves off on a cliffhanger right as we were getting to the good parts. I love stories that leave you begging for more.
The story is so cute. It focuses on two high school-aged boys falling in love. Charlie and Nick’s romance is so touching and relatable. Whoever you are and wherever your love interests are, we can all relate to the highs and very low lows of crushes and love in high school.
The illustrations are so cute. I think these like semi-minimalistic cartoon pencil drawings are perfect. The way the feelings are displayed through changing box sizes and illustrations on the background.
This graphic novel is so well done. I love it a lot.
So besides the sister/brother romance, everything about this book is superb.
The Book:
Goodreads
Title: The City of Ashes
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #2
Published September 1st 2015 by Margaret K. McElderry Books (first published March 25th 2008)
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 455
“Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what’s normal when you’re a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who’s becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn’t ready to let her go—especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary’s only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil—and also her father.
To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings—and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City’s Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.” -Goodreads
My Review:
Cassandra Clare wrote horribly in the first book, City of Bones. She wrote writing that I could only describe as fanfiction writing. In this book though, she seems to have a grip on her fanfiction descriptions and reigns it into more professional and exquisite writing.
This is really shown off in the third book, but we are not talking about that yet.
Near the end of the book, the story sucked me in and I could not put it down. I finished the book in two days. I started to read the next one and devoured that as well.
The fighting scenes are so good. The little twists and turns are so good. The descriptions of the world are so vibrant. I can envision everything so well.
The humor in this series is the best. The witty comments are cheesy, but I appreciate them. They are actually funny, unlike other fantasy books.
The one thing I hate about this book is the romance. Ugh, I want to barf. If you don’t know, (spoilers for the rest of the paragraph) the main character and the main love interests are brother and sister for this book. It irks me because the romance could be so great, but now it is just tainted.
Other than that, this book is really good. I am enjoying The Mortal Instruments.
The next book is so much better than all the others. I cannot wait to finish it and put up my review.
For a class this quarter, I had to create a blog. For this blog, I wrote out my Black Friday post, where I showed off the books I bought on Black Friday.
I wanted to report my original post here, and here is the link to the original post. I will probably not post on that blog anymore, but I did like this post.
Here it is:
“The day after Thanksgiving is a time to relax after the huge meal, spend some quality time with family, and, the most important part, shopping!
My boyfriend and I went to the Olympia Mall on Black Friday to shop the deals. I went to stores like Bath and Body Works, Earthbound Co., and Old Navy. However, my favorite place I shopped was not at the mall, Barnes & Noble.
I spent more on books there than on my other purchases combined. I bought a few for their sale and then a few signed books.
1. Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
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This was the main reason I went to the store. Aveyard is one of my favorite authors. She has been posting about picking up copies of her book this week and I knew I had to get one. I thought that the store would run out since I was going later on in the day, but they had three left in stock!
2. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
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Do I already own this book? Yes.
Did I still buy the signed copy of it? Yes!
I read this book for the first time when I was thirteen and it was honestly a game-changer. The twist at the end was so unexpected. I am so happy I got a signed version.
3. Anyway the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell
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I love Rainbow Rowell. Her books have always had a special place in my heart. I was so excited I could nab another one, with her signature! I now own a signed book by Rainbow Rowell. How cool!
4. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
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This book I, unfortunately, did not find a signed copy. I did get a killer deal on it being half-off though. I was so happy. I am excited to read this one, but I do not have high hopes since I did not think Garber’s other series, ‘Caraval,’ was super riveting. I have heard more positive things about this book though.
5. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
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I have heard amazing things about this book. My mom tried to buy it for me for Christmas but she could not find it. I thought my Christmas list was going to go unfulfilled, but I spotted the copy from across the room. I ran to it and this book ended my shopping in-store.
Online, I bought a few more books that I have not gotten yet:
Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton
Here’s to Us by Becky Abertalli and Adam Silvera (Signed) (Preorder)
Galant by V.E Schwab (Signed) (Preorder)
I spent a lot of money, but I am so happy with all of my purchases.”
Hey guys! I am trying out a new format with my blog so bear with me…
THE BOOK:
Title: Red Queen
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen #1
Published February 10th, 2015 by HarperTeen
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Sci-Fi
Pages: 383
“This is a world divided by blood—red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. That is until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power. Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime. But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance—Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.” -Goodreads
MY REVIEW:
Plotwise this book had everything. Characterwise this book had everything. Romancewise this book had everything. This book was everything I wanted and more!
Before reading this, I was in a total reading slump. I had five books on my book cart begging to be read, but they did not entice me. I thought, “Okay, let’s try one more attempt at recovery.” I grabbed the first book on my shelf, something new, something fresh. I had never read Aveyard’s work before. I had attempted to read this one a long time ago, but it became overdue at the library and I had no care to continue on.
But damn how I have missed out!
From the moment I picked up this book, I devoured it. I began reading it last week and then just finished today. I have not finished a book in a week since Summer. School has been kicking my butt and this was the perfect escape.
The plot was exciting. Aveyard is a temptress. She brings you into the story with vivid details and then smashes your face into the Silver’s diamond walls with twists and turns. I got to see the seedy underbelly of the elite in this society, and I want more.
Whenever I started getting comfortable with the storyline, thinking: “What else could possibly happen?” I was thrown into a whole new hole and sunk deeper and deeper into the story.
The graphics in my mind were so amazing. Aveyard found the sweet spot when it came to describing the setting. It wasn’t overcontrolling but it wasn’t so little I could have thought of anything and it would fit. The imagery wrapped around me like a nicely fitting glove.
Mare Barrow, the main character, excites me, infuriates me, and charms me in every word of the story. She goes from peasant Red in rags to noble Silver in silks. We, as readers, see the internal struggle she feels working with her enemies. We feel all of her emotions as we go through the story.
The kind, sweet-hearted Maven was my favorite character. Emphasis on the was. I was really rooting for him throughout the book. I wanted the second child to get some sort of recognition in this book. He was handsome, smart, and emotionally available for Mare. Again, emphasis on the past tense.
Cal infuriates me. Yeah, I said it. He is annoying and I do not root for him. He stands against everything Mare stands for, which I am always going to be on Mare’s side, and that makes him a little punk in my mind.
The other side characters were amazing. Everyone was well developed, no matter who they were and if they only showed up once or twice. I got to love almost everyone in this book.
I think this book was super entertaining. I have heard that it might be made into a TV show or movie. I would die! I think that it would be so cool to see the story of Mare Barrow brought to the big screen.
Go check out my Twitter and Instagram @abookiesbooks
For those that dont know, WWW is a meme and this meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words. And it involves answering the 3 Ws!
Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and, with it, a hard-earned reprieve.
Yet even the festive atmosphere can’t keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated—scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.
Narrated by Feyre and Rhysand, this wondrous tale of hope and promise picks up after A Court of Wings and Ruin and sets the stage for the thrilling events in the future books.” -Goodreads
My Review:
So did anyone else reading this read it as a Christmas special?
This book basically picks up after the third book. And it was basically a Christmas special but in book form.
In the novella of the Throne of Glass series, Maas wrote back stories for Aelin and Celeana. This novella was a Christmas special. I guess you could say I was just quite a bit surprised. It was a different change. I guess I do not know what I expected.
It was a cute little story though. I have been on a romance kick, if you have been seeing my Goodreads shelves updating or reading my reviews. So this is just one of many romance books I will be reviewing. I finished it in one day. It was a cute little book to read and to get me back in the physical book reading mood (before this I did a lot of Kindle and audiobook reading).
It started to introduce the new little love triangle between Elain and Azriel. I know the Gwen is not introduced in this book, but this is the start of Az and Elain’s little romance. I am not sure how I feel about it just yet. I know that a lot of BookTok and BookTwit don’t like them. I am really not sure how I feel. I do really like the fanart for Gwen and Azriel I have seen though. I have yet to purchase ACOSF, so the wait for my opinions on the remaining canon plot is yet to be had.
Feyre and Rhysand seem to be recovering after the War. Obviously they are not healed but they do seem to help work through that. So far, Rhysand has helped her through so much. You can see Feyre’s healing in the end of this. She is returning to herself pre-Under the Mountain. This series is really cool because you can see how far she has come from the beginning of the series.
One thing that bothers me a bit about this series is how Feyre is seemingly becoming a housewife. I understand that, yes, in this book there is not fight to be had and she does have to rule her Court. I feel as though she does sit out of a lot of fights. She is less of a bad*ss (not offense).
This is a contrast to Aelin in Throne of Glass. It is hard for me to love Feyre and this series as much as I loved Throne of Glass. I loved Throne of Glass because it shattered those gender stereotypes for me. The MC could still be an assassin, ruthless in everyway, and still love to wear fancy clothes and get dressed up. I thought it was an important lesson. Also, Throne of Glass emphasizes that Aelin can save herself most of the time. ACOTAR seems like she needed a man to save her in every bad living situation.
I hate to bash on it, but it is true.
I did enjoy getting to see the other character’s POVs. I hope to see more of them in other books. (Again, still haven’t read ACOSF so I don’t know if it has them or not.) I liked Cassian’s POVs the best probably. I think he is my favorite side character so far. He just is such a fun and loyal guy.
Nesta in this book made me mad. But I understand why she acts the way she acts, mostly. She is traumatized and in pain. I feel like her being with her sister, at least Elain for the solstice would help her. But hey, I am not a licensed therapist so I have no real authority over others emotions.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I can not wait to read the other books. I chuckled all day over this book because it felt like a Christmas special. Out of everything, I have never read a Christmas special to a book series before. Is this a real thing?
Published September 29th 2020 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: Contemporary, YA, LGBTQ
“The boys of Kings Row bout with drama, rivalry, and romance in this original YA novel by The New York Times bestselling author Sarah Rees Brennan—inspired by the award-nominated comic series by C.S. Pacat and Johanna The Mad.
Sixteen-year-old Nicholas Cox is the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion who dreams of getting the proper training he could never afford. After earning a place on the elite Kings Row fencing team, Nicholas must prove himself to his rival, Seiji Katayma, and navigate the clashes, friendships, and relationships between his teammates on the road to state championships—where Nicholas might finally have the chance to spar with his golden-boy half-brother.
Coach Williams decides to take advantage of the boys’ morale after a recent victory and assigns them a course of team building exercises to further deepen their bonds. It takes a shoplifting scandal, a couple of moonlit forest strolls, several hilariously bad dates, and a whole lot of introspection for the team to realize they are stronger together than they could ever be apart.
The first installment of this enticing original YA novel series by Sarah Rees Brennan, rich with casual diversity and queer self-discovery, explores never-before-seen drama inspired by C.S. Pacat’s critically acclaimed Fence comic series and boasts original cover and interior art by Johanna The Mad.” -Goodreads
My Review:
OMG!
I found this book while perusing my libraries online audiobooks and this was the only book n the YA section that was available.
Boy am I thankful that I checked it out!
This was the cutest little audiobook I have ever listened too. It really got me into the mood of listening to audiobooks.
I think that the relationship between Aiden and Harvard is so cute! They were the main romance in the novel. I know the comic version mainly focuses on Nicolas and Seiji but I have not read it. I am trying to find out where to get it!
I absolutely loved this book. I listened to the entire thing in one day. I could not stop playing it. I began cleaning my house to it and than suddenly, I was laying in bed just listening.
The narrator did really well doing each person’s unique voice. The illustrations made it really easy to see the boys infront of me while they went along their tasks.
The one thing that I was not a huge fan of was the lack of fencing in the book. Sports romance books always seem to lack the sport they surround. The Foxhole Court was the same way.
I cannot wait for the second book to make it’s way too me. And I really want to check out the comics.
If you want an easy cute little read, I would definetly check this out!
Published September 20th 2016 by Henry Holt and Company
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Pages: 546
“Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives.
Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties.
A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets – a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.
Bardugo really steps up her game in this book. She gives us even more character development. She gives us better back stories. She builds the realm of Ketterdam even more beautifully than the first book.
The plot thickens on the Crows story as they try to get the money that was owed to them in the last book. I felt like this story, while lacking the adventure aspect of the first book, gave me everything the first book was missing and more.
It explained more of the love interests in the stories and developed those relationships. Wylan and Jesper are even more enthralled with each other. The little teasing just GETS ME. Nina and Matthias are shown to be united and happy together. Inej and Kaz are the slowest burn alive but that BATHROOM SCENE had me SCREAMING!
We got to see more realm building. We steered off of the Shadow and Bone Ravkan knowledge of how Grisha were treated. Bardugo delves deeper into how Grisha are treated in any other part of the world.
This book was really good. I honestly have no complaints for it. I have not had a book I read in awhile that I have not complained about. The ending was a little shocking but I definitely cant complain about the shock factor.
I think everyone should go check this out. Also, now that I finished the books, I watched the TV show and it was so good! Not super accurate to the Six of Crows books but I liked the Shadow and Bone adaptation.
“You’d think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you’d be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they’ve left their cargo of human women – including me – on an ice planet.
And the only native inhabitant I’ve met? He’s big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me…“ -Goodreads
My Review:
So if you come from BookTok (the side of TikTok about books), you already know what is going on…
If you have graciously never heard of this book before, RUN!!
Run away
This book series has taken over my FYP (For You page) on TikTok.
The fact I am even writing a review for this book is HORRIFYING.
But in all honesty I did enjoy this book.
Did I think the 11 page sex scene was necessary? NO
Did the writing sound like a twelve-year-old-fanfiction? YES
But do I still want everyone to read it? HELL YEAH
If you have not met the 7-foot-tall aliens with ribbed you-know-whats (sorry grandma and grandpa if youre reading this right now) then you are kind of missing out.
This book is disgusting and needed 300 trigger warning but it was an experience I will never regret.
I highlighted every time something was said that was just so out-of-pocket I wanted to cry laughing.
Things like “My c*ck hasn’t forgotten this” (73), or “I’ve found an alien that likes to eat p*ssy as a greeting” (49).
This book, while trying to be a serious novel about alien abduction and surviving on a new planet, turns into something that I think of as comedy. The sex scenes had me laughing at the various nouns to describe certain body parts.
There actually is a semi-interesting plot to this story. So far, there are 20+ books out for the series so I am not too concerned that this book was basically exposition into the story on Not-Hoth (the planet they live on).
The conflicts in the book are sort of easily solved. The feminism in this went out the window no matter how hard they tried to be strong independent women. The men are utterly insane. There was a reference to sex almost every page.
This book was horrible, but in a capturing and intriguing way.
Please do not read this book but trust me you will be missing out.
Seriously, I hope that you read this, but also hope that you dont.
As always, thanks for reading,
A Bookie
Star Rating: 3 (only because I am going to read the next book)
“Neil Josten is the newest addition to the Palmetto State University Exy team. He’s short, he’s fast, he’s got a ton of potential—and he’s the runaway son of the murderous crime lord known as The Butcher.
Signing a contract with the PSU Foxes is the last thing a guy like Neil should do. The team is high profile and he doesn’t need sports crews broadcasting pictures of his face around the nation. His lies will hold up only so long under this kind of scrutiny and the truth will get him killed.
But Neil’s not the only one with secrets on the team. One of Neil’s new teammates is a friend from his old life, and Neil can’t walk away from him a second time. Neil has survived the last eight years by running. Maybe he’s finally found someone and something worth fighting for.”-Goodreads
My Review:
AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Hello my fellow bloggers,
Please please please ignore my screaming a second ago, but I just cant help it. This book is just too good.
I have not read a lot of self-published books. The lack of hype and marketing around them make it hard to be aware in my opinion. But there was an insane amount of TikTok hype for this book so I had to pick it up.
And I am so glad I did.
Neil’s story is such a good story. To intrigue you, there is the mafia, gay romance, and morally grey (like dark dark grey) characters. He is placed on an Exy (it’s basically lacrosse but whatever) team with these ragtag bunch of teens who act more like gang members than college sports athletes.
It reads like a fanfiction but is full of OCs. The writing is a bit bland at times but it makes the story really easy to follow. With the writing, there is a certain lack of details but it is still a decent book. Some important details about characters are glanced over. A lot of actions are easily forgiven or the drama that ensues after them seems a bit dramatic.
I have not read any of the other books, but I have seen fanart for the pairing in the books. If that pairing is canon, this is a SLOOOOOOOW burn enemies to lovers for Neil. So far I am just seeing a man way to overprotective about someone he seems not to care about. But that is what we love, am I right?
It is kind of a triggering book and has a lot of drug abuse and violence in it. It does have dark undertones of the story. There are so many secrets to find out. The end leaves on a huge cliff hanger.
Even with some of the negatives, it is still a really good book. It is kind of a nice side book to have when you feel bored reading your main book.
I highly recommend people go check this out. When you are finished, go check out the fanarts for it too. They really are fantastic.
