Descent by Tara Fuller (ARC review)

Descent by Tara Fuller
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication: June 2nd, 2015
Pages: 320 pages
Song I Played While Reading: Chains by Nick Jonas
Rating: 3.5 stars

Easton doesn’t believe in love. He believes in Death. Darkness. Sin. As a reaper for Hell, it’s all he’s known for over four hundred years. When he gets slapped with the job of training the boss’s daughter, an angel who knows nothing but joy, he knows he’s in for a world of trouble.
Though he’s made it clear he wants nothing to do with her outside of work, Gwen would do anything to get closer to the dark and wounded reaper—even taint her angelic image and join the ranks of her father’s team of reapers. But in all her planning, she forgot to factor in one thing—how far the demons Easton doomed to hell would go to get revenge.
When the dangers of the Hell threaten Gwen, Easton will do whatever it takes to save her. But as the darkness closes in on them both, will he be able to save himself?

Though I haven't read the first two books in this series, I was impressed with the ease at which I was able to sink into this story. Granted, they're companion novels, but still. I really enjoyed this book! 
The plot was well paced, with very few dull moments, and I found hell to be quite fascinating, albeit a little disturbing (to be expected). Fuller wrote a PG-13 Hell, highlighting the nasty side in a way where the reader wont go running to the bathroom to puke their guts up. But we still get a pretty good idea of what life in Hell would be like, and I for one would rather just be immortal. Heaven is overbearingly good and fluffy.
Easton was a smolderingly hot character and I gobbled him up. I found his backstory to be absolutely heartbreaking and just wanted to pinch his cheeks and coo that everything would be okay. Gwen definitely was the perfect girl for him, though her naiveté got on my nerves a little. Overall she was a solid character and I was impressed with her honesty, but she was too good. I'm the kinda person that would connect more with the devil (or a reaper, in this case) then an angel. Their relationship had a small case of insta-love, but nothing too major.
Scout, one of the supporting characters, was a major highlight. He was the sarcastic and goofy sidekick, and his jokes and sarcastic remarks were a much needed reprieve. The ending was satisfying, but a bit abrupt and could have been drawn out more. Overall, this was a surprisingly enjoyable read and I definitely recommend it if you've read the first two books! 

Quotes
""I like to smoke. I like to eat pancakes. I like climbing into the back of a 1969 Camaro with a living girl every now and then. I don't like sweating my balls off in the pits of Hell."
In front of me, Easton looked back over his shoulder. "You don't have to be here. You could always go back and try your luck with Balthazar."
Scout glanced at me and shook his head. "I pick ball sweat." 

""I'm no expert in how all of this works, but isn't it rude to watch a girl change clothing?" I huffed, placing my hands on my hips. 
He raised a brow. "Is that what you were doing? I thought you were having a seizure." 

"Her hands slipped up my neck and into my hair, pulling me closer to Heaven, closer to my end. I would have given her the world just then if I could have. But I only had me, and if thats what she wanted, then I was hers. Completely, irreversibly hers."

""If I left you alone, your boyfriend would do unspeakable things to me," he said. "And if anyone is going to do unspeakable things to me, I'd much rather it be someone like your angel friend."

(Picture and synopsis from Goodreads)

Top Ten Beach Reads

This meme is hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish :)

1. The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han

The Holy Grail of contemporary summer reads for me, I absolutely adore these books. This is my go-to beach read, and if you haven't read it yet DO IT.

2. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

On par with The Summer I Turned Pretty, I adore this book!

3. The Sky is Everywhere/ I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Can you blame me for including both her books in this one? JANDY NELSON IS BAE.

4. The DUFF by Kody Kiplinger

One of my favorite rom-coms, this was a super fun read. Has anyone seen the movie? If so, what did you think?

5. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

I mostly enjoy picturing Will as Liam Hemsworth *drools* 

6. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

I will tell you nothing except that its a contemporary, mystery, and romance in one. GO READ IT AND TWEAK OUT LIKE THE REST OF THE UNIVERSE DID. 

7. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

An inspirational and fun read about a girl finding her voice and taking charge of her life. Add in a summer bucket list and you get this ADORABLE story. I also met Morgan Matson and ahhh, she was amazing :)

8. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

The only classic literature I love with a fiery passion, I'm assuming most of y'all know what this is about. Just know I love it. And I love Francie. 

9. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Just... RIDGE *sobs and runs away while playing the soundtrack*

10. The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne

SO SO SO SO CUTE I CANT EVEN EXPLAIN IT JUST READ IT<333 (also this WILL be my last name when I'm older. Any boys on here with the last name Thorne?)

What books are on your list? I'm always open to recommendations and would love to see your list!

Side note here: I just now realized (14 hours after I made this post) that I made this a beach book recommendation list. Oops! But I would still reread these books on the beach cause they're THAT perfect.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date: March 18th, 2003
Pages: 454
Song I Played While Reading: Somewhere to Run by Krewella
Rating: 4 stars

While in Paris on business, Harvard symbolist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, a baffling cipher found near the body. As Langdon and a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, sort through the bizzare riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci- clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.
The stakes are raised when Langdon uncovers a startling link: The late curator was involved in the Prior of Sion- an actual secret society whose members include Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others. Langdon suspects they are on the hunt for a breathtaking historical secret, one that has proven through the centuries to be as enlightening as it is dangerous. In a frantic race through Paris, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu fin themselves matching wits with a faceless powerbroker who appears to anticipate their every move. Unless they can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle, the Priory's secret- and an explosive ancient truth- will be lost forever. 

This is one of those adult novels that, at least for me, I have to read in my lifetime. I've heard about it all my life, and have seen the controversy over it, so naturally I wanted to read it and form my own opinion. Plus Christine Riccio (my favorite Booktuber) swears by this book. I spontaneously bought it on my kindle last week (I own the physical copy but its currently residing in my home in Chicago), and finally started reading it. And I absolutely loved it.
I think the combination of my neutral take on religion and my open-mindedness led me to absolutely devouring this book. Based on some truth, Brown formed some pretty shocking statements in here about the Church and Jesus Christ, so I think some people, even though this is technically a work of fiction, will be rubbed the wrong way. But I love a good scandal and found this book to be super engrossing, to the point where I would stop reading and feel almost drunk off all the information I was learning. This took me 5 days to read and on one of those days, I was cooped up in my room almost all day. Unless you enjoy the feeling of your brain oozing out of your ears, then I recommend you only read this in spurts. For someone like me, who has a very small amount of knowledge on religion, this was a BOATLOAD of information.
But I never once faltered and honestly found everything so damn fascinating. Brown managed to weave together history and facts alongside heart-stopping action, making this a fantastic historical thriller. I didn't even know that type of genre really existed, yet here I am, in awe that I both learned something and ran all over Europe with wanted fugitives.
The characters lacked emotion and I didn't feel much of a connection, but this story is obviously all about the details, and for that it gets an A+ in my book.

Happy Monday!

Hello, everyone :) Happy memorial day! I just had pancakes and an iced coffee from my favorite coffee shop, so my day is off to a fabulous start. I hope you're having a good day, too! Let's get into today's post.

Finished Last Week
Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

To Read (I don't even know why I bother with this part cause clearly I never follow through)
Awake by Natasha Preston
Descent by Tara Fuller

Both these titles are from Netgalley, and I want to power through them since I won't have any other time to do in June or July and they'll both be published by then.
I also ordered some ADORABLE book marks on Etsy and will make a post about them when they come in! I'm so excited. I've wanted to get back into the habit of using bookmarks and lord knows we've come a long way from using the rectangular paper ones.

Happy readings :)

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication: April 28th, 2015
Pages: 309
Song I Played While Reading: Papercut by Zedd
Rating: 4.5 stars

Aza Ray is drowning in thin air.

Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak- to live.
All the doctors can do is give her drugs and hope they keep her alive: So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of the medication. But Aza doesn't thin this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.
Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who's always been there for her. Jason, for whom she might have more-then-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terrible wrong. The sickness catches up with her.
Aza is lost to our world.
And found by another.

Magonia.

Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power. And she can use it to change the world. 
As she navigates her new life, Aza discovers that war is coming. Magonia and Earth on the cusp of a reckoning. In Aza's hands lies the whole of humanity- including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie? 

Tell me that doesn't sound intriguing. I mean, WOW. This was a very low-key thrill ride, and I mean that in the best way possible. It reminds me a little of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, but definitely not in main characters. Aza and Jason are one of the strangest pairs of people I've ever read about, and I absolutely LOVED it.
Aza is morbidly fascinated with everything, and not afraid of the truth. She'll bluntly tell you she's dying and enjoy your uncomfortable reaction. Though she's weak and can barely breathe sometimes, she makes the best out of every situation. She's strong, in her own way, and I so so SO enjoyed reading from her point of view. I loved the way she looked at the world and all the random bits of information she had stored in her head. She was sarcastic, a little pessimistic, and just outright weird. She didn't see the world in rainbows and unicorns like some people do, but neither did she mope around and be super boring. She poked fun at her disease.
Jason was the other character we read from, and I couldn't tell who I enjoyed more. Usually I always prefer a narrator over another, but these two were such a freakin riot that it was just one big 'ol book of confetti. And I'm not using riot with the intent to make you think these two are just hilarious. Don't get me wrong, they are, but they're also outright quirky. Especially Jason. He's a 16 year old entrepreneur that has 3 patents, has connections to people in the black market/ government, is insanely intelligent and is so confident in his abilities that he slacks in school just because he can and wants to be the next Steve Jobs, and recites Pi whenever he's stressed out. This kid is pure gold!
The emotional connection I had with the characters was super strong, and at times my heart broke for them. The struggles they all went through made me cry multiple times because her family and Jason loved Aza with all their beings. I couldn't imagine what it must have felt like, for either party.

"I'll find you," Jason says, and I hear him. I hear him. I trust him.
The lights flicker. I hear a giant impact up in the sky, and there's an explosion, fire, the smell of smoke and ozone. Something snags me and pulls hard, out of the ambulance doors, outside, and my dad is swearing, and Jason is still telling the girl on the gurney he's not letting her go, and Eli's screaming, and then the sirens stop. 
And after that? There's nothing."

That entire scene just made me bawl my eyes out.
The world was insanely cool. It was imaginative and new and completely breathtaking. Squallwhales? Stormsharks? Batsails? It's like a sky aquarium! I could easily picture everything that was described and loved the way Headley wrote. It was unorthodox and sometimes grammatically wrong and completely hers. There weren't periods and commas in all the right places. It was poetic and mysterious and reminded me a little of Jandy Nelson.
Though a high fantasy, we get a fascinating back story thats simultaneously unique and believable enough that I could see it happening in the real world. We delve into UFO sightings and crop circles and a bunch of history that reports these mysterious "ships in the sky". All of this, the research Jason and Aza find, actually exist. How cool is that?!
Overall, this is a phenomenal YA debut. If you enjoy high fantasy, intriguing characters, and a beautiful and poetic writing style, then this is definitely the book for you.

Quotes
"The proper name for the North Star is Cynosure, named after a nymph. It's a scip steorra, "star ship," for navigation. In some of the old stories (give it up for the many peculiar and awesome philosophers of the 1600's- in this case, Jacques Gafarel, and no, I can't explain how I happened upon him, except that at some point, deep in the library, I saw a circular diagram of the sky, and the stars looked like breeding fruit flies in a petri dish and I was So Obsessed), the patterns of the stars form letters. Celestial alphabet. Writing that gets rewritten as the earth moves. If you look at the sky that way, it's this massive shifting poem, or maybe a letter, first written by one author, and then, when the earth moves, annotated by another. So I stare and stare until, one day, I can read it."

"I'm dark matter. The universe inside of me is full of something, and science can't even shine a light on it. I feel like I'm mostly made of mysteries."

""Don't worry about the feather," he tells me now. "I can see you worrying. We'll get through this. I'm a master fighter. If it turns out Big Bird's hanging out in your bedroom, I'll slay that bird."
This is actually weirdly comforting for someone who's pretty sure she's about to die. Having a dad who's willing to declare war against an institution as deeply rooted as Big Bird is not nothing."

"But he's looking at me in a way that makes me wonder if he's invented the whole giant-squid-footage thing completely, and he's actually going to do something weird- pour water on my head when I walk through the basement door, or present me with immortality ointment. I don't think about any other kind of thing he might be wanting to do with me, because he's Jason, and I'm me."

Top Ten OTP's

This meme is hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish :)

Chaolaena

The mother of all OTP's for me, I will go down with this ship. Hell, I'm already sunk. I'm done. No matter who Celaena ends up with, I will always root for Chaolaena. I'VE NOT LOST HOPE. I don't care how "awful" he apparently was to Celaena. I don't see it like that. I see him struggling to accept the fact that his entire life was just flipped upside, and everything he believed was right was actually wrong. The man he swore an oath too? Actually an evil prick. Magic? It exists and brimming just under the surface of his world. Just because he didn't drop everything and immediately jump to the other side doesn't mean he isn't a good person. Hell, that makes him one of the most realistic character I've ever read about. It gives him depth. It was phenomenal character development, and any person that gives him shit for it doesn't understand. Because the man he becomes at the end of Heir of Fire? That brought me to tears. He deserves the world. YOU HEAR ME, MAAS?

Katy and Daemon

Do I even NEED to explain this one? They went through hell to be together. And Armentrout did what most authors don't; SHE WROTE MORE. Y'all know what short stories on Wattpad I'm talking about. I was bawling my eyes out. And did I mention she's writing a WHOLE 'NOTHER BOOK FROM DAEMONS POV???  *screeches*

Wessa

I don't want talk about this one. I can't. THE EPILOGUE OF CLOCKWORK PRINCESS. *sobs and runs away*

Warnette

Actually getting goosebumps from just thinking about what these two beautiful humans went through. If you've read Shatter Me and don't think you can make it to Ignite Me... please, please, plEASE just push through. Shatter Me and Unravel Me are one level, and then Ignite Me just blew those out of the water. There is no level for that book. IT'S JUST TOO GOOD. 

Alina and Nikolai

Yes, I've read Ruin and Rising. Yes, I'm crazy. But I don't care. I was rooting for this from the start. LEAVE ME ALONE, I CAN DREAM CANT I?

Romitri

Talk about a couple that goes through a rough patch. I love these two with a fiery passion. They broke my heart over and over again, and then slowly mended it in The Last Sacrifice. They had an old soul type of love and complimented each other personality wise and ARE ABSOLUTELY LETHAL TOGETHER AND ARGH. Richelle, please write a novella or something about them PLEEEEEEASE.

Sydrian

These two are exactly like Romitri, besides for the level of badassery (even though these two can definitely open up a solid can of whoop-ass on you). They had some MAJOR obstacles in their way, but these two didn't care at all and casually shook the entire VA world to its core. I haven't read The Ruby Circle yet, but the end of Silver Shadows? ONLY MY DREAM COME TRUE. *happy dances around my computer* 

I'm really slacking on my lists. Here I was thinking, "Oh my GOD, I have so many OTP's", when in reality I apparently only have 7. Sigh. I'M SORRY, I DONT MEAN TO SLACK. 

Leave a link to your list down in the comments below, I'm super curious to see what you guys made yours about! 

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway (ARC Review)

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication: June 15th, 2015
Pages: 342
Song I Played While Reading: Birds Fly by Hardwell
Rating: 4 stars

emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.
She wants to stay out late, surf at her favorite beach- go anywhere without her parents' relentless worrying. But Emmy's parents can seem to let her go- not sine the day ten years ago when her best friend, Oliver, disappeared. 

oliver needs a moment to figure it all out.
He'd thought, all these years, that his father was the good guy. He never knew that his dad had kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it all at once- and returning to his old hometown- has his heart aching and his thoughts swirling

emmy & oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. To Emmy, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still meant to be? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles- impossible to fit together?

When I first say this cover, maybe around 3 months ago, I scoffed at it.
"How many times can you write a love story about two sick kids?" is what I thought. I'm being totally honest here, so sorry if I offend anyone. It was my initial reaction because c'mon, you can't deny that there are an alarming amount of novels being written about two kids falling in love, and one of them (or both) is always sick. So I told myself I wasn't going to read this one because it all kinda blurs together for me.
Fast forward two months and I was walking towards the Harper Teen table at Yallwest, eagerly devouring all the free books they had left. Admittedly there were only 2; this one, and another one that I can't remember the name of. I picked up the latter, still judging Emmy & Oliver, scanned the summary, and put it down. It didn't sound very interesting, so I quickly snatched up E&O (since there were only 3 of them left) and finally read the summary. And I was completely blown away.
Wait, no sick kids??
Whoa, one of them was kidnapped by their dad?!
And he's coming back to town?! And the lovers were best friends since birth?!
*cue the mental fight I had with myself for judging this book by its cover and title*
S/O to the higher power that led me to getting an ARC copy of this, you rock.
For my final rating, I had to sleep on it. I finished the story already in a funky mood, and even with the sweet ending, I was bitchy. So I knew I couldn't write the review with a clouded mind.
Overall, it was REALLY good. For the first 60% of the book I was on cloud 9, cackling and swooning. I haven't read a book this funny in a long, long time, so it was refreshing. The dialogue was witty and the characters straightforward. It wasn't all about the blooming relationship; instead, we see a fantastic friendship between 3 people that was so cliche and perfect that I couldn't get over it. They had me in stitches.
Emmy is definitely one of my favorite narrators. We're a lot alike. She accepted her life and enjoyed it the best she could, even with certain setbacks. She had her friends, her surfing, and her family, and that was all that mattered to her. So I really respected her optimistic attitude, even when things got shitty. Oliver was equally a strong character, and I loved them together. There was absolutely no drama (at least between them) and for that I am eternally grateful. It was beautiful and simplistic enough that it had me yearning for a guy like Ollie. (Course when do I NOT long for a guy in a book)
Though I enjoyed the characters, there was a certain point in the story when I lost the connection to them, and it of course had to happen when things started getting very emotional. It spanned for maybe 20 pages, and then I easily jumped back in. Thats when I started getting in my funky mood, so you could say that it was 85% me and 15% the writing.
The plot flowed but the ending felt a little rushed, and took me completely by surprise. I got a little teary-eyed and felt that Benway wrapped it up well-enough, though I wish we could have delved more into the kidnapping aspect.
Altogether, this was a hilarious, sweet, and uplifting read about first love, friendship, family, and standing up for yourself. I recommend it to everyone!

Quotes
"Thats when I first learned about true frustration, that wrenching ache when the thing that matters most to you barely makes a ripple in other people's lives."

""I don't have a license," he said. "I didn't really need one in New York."
"Oh yeah. Right. Okay. Well, then I guess I'll drive. Doing want to do anything illegal, right?" I tried to smile as I realized, I just made a joke about illegal activity to someone who had been kidnapped for ten years. Oh god. Let the trauma begin.
But Oliver just turned around. "Give me a few minutes. Gotta find my keys." He patted his pockets, like they were hiding somewhere in his jeans.
"Sure!" I said, then went to fire up my car, my jaw tight with embarrassment.
This was all my parents's fault."

"There were two figures in the backseat, one much taller than the other. I saw the outline of Maureen's hair and realized with a sickening feeling that I didn't recognize the other person at all.
And right then, I wanted it to stop. I wanted to go back to surfing yesterday afternoon and have Caro announce nothing more exciting than a pop quiz in calculus that she totally failed. I wanted the neighbors to mind their own business and to my complete horror, I wanted Oliver to go back to New York. His disappearance had created such a huge chasm that it still hadn't fully repaired itself, and I didn't know if I was ready to have it ripped open all over again. As terrible as the past ten years had been, they were familiar. I wasn't sure if I was ready to trade them in for a brand-new set of issues and worries."

""Those look painful," Oliver commented, trying to avoid Caro digging her heel into his shoulder. "Why does everything you do look like it hurts?"
"Because!" Caro huffed with a final shove. "You guys want us to look natural and theres nothing natural about look natural."
I could see the confusion cross Oliver's face and stifled my own smile.

""I didn't ever have normal," Oliver said. " I mean, I thought I did, but now..." He shrugged a little. "I just wish I had known you all longer. All those years. Without the ten-year gap in the middle. It would have been nice."
Caro stared at him a moment, then burst into tears.
"Oh shit," Olivers face, already solemn, immediately shifted to panic. "Caro, no. Oh, god. What is she doing? Did I break her?"

Happy Monday!

Hello all :) Never have I been happier for it to be Monday. My hectic 6 day work week is over and now I can finally relax for three days. I have an appointment today concerning my passport so wish me luck that all goes well! 

Finished Last Week

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas *drools*

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

To Read

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

The Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead

I've put off rereading the first five books because sometimes I just think to myself, "Gosh, what a waste of reading time", and why don't I just read the last book and call it a day? But hell if I remember everything that happened in the series and c'mon, WHO WOULDNT WANT TO RELIVE THE SYDRIAN DAYS? Sigh. Plus a series doesn't feel complete to me if I only read the last book. I need everything in chronological order with no gaps in between. Does anyone else do this? 

Happy readings :)

Book Boyfriends: Nikolai Lantsov

Nikolai Lantsov
The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

Described to be tall, with golden blonde hair and hazel eyes, Nikolai Lantsov is neck and neck with Chaol Westfall as my favorite fictional boyfriend ever. He's got quite the title, so brace yourself:

"Nikolai Lantsov, Major of the Twenty-Second Regiment, Soldier of the King's Army, Grande Duke of Udova, and second son to His Most Royal Majesty, King Alexander the Third, Ruler of the Double Eagle Throne."

What is it about Nikolai that makes me love him so much? It took me a while to figure this out. He's the reason why I cried so much at the end of Ruin and Rising. Actually, scratch that, he's the reason why I cried in general during Ruin and Rising. And why is that? BECAUSE HE DIDNT GET HIS HAPPY ENDING.
I was initially attracted to him because, hello, he's a fucking riot. I kid you not, he's one of the funniest male characters I've ever read about. Multiple times while reading Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising, I had to put the book down and just laugh hysterically to myself and come to terms with exactly why I have such high standards.
As we got to know him, we learned that the jokes and snarky remarks were a front. Underneath it all, hidden so far down that not many people even know it existed, was a heart that beated for his country. He wanted nothing more than for it to thrive and to be whole again, which is where his story intertwined with Alina and the gang. Being the King's son was not the easiest thing for him either, and people said some nasty stuff about him. But he never let it get to him, and instead just brushed the remarks off his shoulders and stepped froward with a smile. He knew how to work a crowd, and had a barrage of techniques for winning people to his cause. He changed from person to person, almost like a chameleon, being the Prince everyone needed him to be. Caring, strong, funny, whatever they needed! He did it for them.
But the feelings didn't really start forming until Ruin and Rising. Oh lord, it was the final straw. Y'all know what I'm talking about. Unrequited love + his personal and physical suffering = my heart stopping. I was donzo. Head over heels in love with Nikolai and already forming exactly how I would persuade Bardugo to write a spin-off series from his pov. I wanted to hold him to my chest and rock him like a child because no one deserves the pain the suffered. 90% of the reason why I had such a mental breakdown after I finished R&R was because of Nikolai. He was pushed aside. I know he wasn't the main focus of the story, but I still think he deserved a little something more. Which is why I'm hoping Bardugo has plans for him.
Please.
PLEASE.

Quotes
“Watch yourself, Nikolai,” Mal said softly. “Princes bleed just like other men.”
Nikolai plucked an invisible piece of dust from his sleeve. “Yes,” he said. “They just do it in better clothes.” 

“Do you answer a question directly?"
"Hard to say. Ah, there, I've done it again” 

“Weakness is a guise. Wear it when they need to know you're human, but never when you feel it.”  

“I hope you weren't looking to me to be the voice of reason. I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret.” 

“Thanks for the rescue."
"Everyone needs a hobby."
"I thought yours was preening."
"Two hobbies.”

“Baghra," Nikolai said, "how are you this evening?"
"Still old and blind," she snarled.
"And charming," Nikolai drawled. "Never forget charming."
"Whelp."
"Hag."
"What do you want, pest?”  (MY FAVORITE SCENE IN THE ENTIRE TRILOGY)

(Quotes from Goodreads)

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: May 5th, 2015
Pages: 416
Song I Played While Reading: Red Lips by GTA
Rating- 4.5 stars

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal but Tamlin- one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
As Feyre dwells on his estate, her feelings from Tamlin transform from icy hostility to a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it- or doom Tamlin- and his world- forever.

WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL BOOK. I can sum it up in one sentence, and I guarantee it'll pique your interest; the always wonderful and amazing Sarah J. Maas wrote it, its a beauty and the beast retelling, and its NA (aka you get some sexy time).
This book was stunning, from the eloquent writing, to the breathtaking world, characters, and romance. The plot, admittedly a little slow for me at some points, really took you for a ride, making you feel ALLLLLLLLLLL the feels. There was a huge twist I didn't see coming and I absolutely loved the direction the story went once we find out the revelations. I couldn't put it down!
The characters were an absolute JOY, even the evil bastards. Sarah has such a fantastic way with making you feel everything the characters feel. You laugh, you cry, you gasp. You feel. It's how I am with ToG. Either I love a character with a fiery passion, or I hate them with my entire being.
And speaking of the feels.. prepare to fan your face, ladies and gents, because we get some sexy times. And I mean sexy. It was absolutely delicious. Every scene with Feyre and Tamlin just had me itching to flip the pages to see if they would finally kiss; the sexual tension was phenomenal, and their relationship flowed. It wasn't too rushed, but nor was it too slow.
I really enjoyed the complicated family dynamic in this book. It made everything more realistic and gave Feyre a sense of purpose, which in turn made her feel more believable to me. They weren't perfect, and definitely had their fair share of ugliness and competition, just like normal families do.
Overall, another kick-ass book by the fantastic Sarah J. Maas. Get your hands on this sucker PRONTO. Even if you didn't like Throne of Glass (how this is possible is beyond me but no judging!), give this book a try. You just might love it.

Spoiler-y Section

WHAT DID RHYS SEE IN FEYRE'S FACE I NEED TO KNOW!!!!!!!! Seriously what an unexpected reaction! Did he see her future? Does she have a cool power? Does she have some kind of mark on her forehead à la Celaena in ToG? That was the final straw for me. I snapped. "CURSE YOU, SARAH J. MAAS!!!!" was what had my mom running into my room looking rumpled and pissed off. She was napping apparently.
I can't get over the sexiness of this book. I just can't. It's so unfair to leave ToG out of the NA loop. It's plenty sexy on its own, but not ACOTAR-level sexy. And thats just unfair (flash back Chaeolaena scene of them on his desk...? It was hinted in HoF, you can't blame me for dreaming). Feyre and Tam were such a sweet couple, and definitely one of my favorite scenes (besides the obvious lust ones) was when they were at the summer solstice party and he was playing the instrument while she danced around him. It was so innocent and precious.
The supporting characters really kicked ass in this story too, especially Lucien and Rhysand.
I couldn't get over how great Lucien, Tam, and Feyre were. I kept getting, "We're the three best friends that anyone could have!" stuck in my head from The Hangover. I can't wait for more scenes with them living in the house, they're just too awesome.
Rhysand was a character I initially did not like at all. I didn't understand why everyone was so obsessed with him. We really don't see much of him until the ending in the wickedly cool/scary Under The Mountain part. And then I fell in love with him. As I usually do with most of the male characters Sarah creates (she's a freakin genius). They're taking over my heart! And I CANNOT wait to see how the whole Rhys/Feyre connection is going to work out in the next book. Tam is going to be so jealous and him and Rhys are going to keep biting each others heads off *cries in excitement* I CANT WAIT!!!

Quotes
"Don't feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy."

""You look... better than before."
Was that a compliment? I could have sworn Lucien gave Tamlin an encouraging nod.
"And you hair is... clean."

"He brought his lips to my ear. "I would have been gentle with you, though." I shuddered as I closed my eyes. Every inch of my body went taut as his words echoed through me. "I would have had you moaning my name throughout it all. And I would have taken a very, very long time, Feyre."

"“Would you like me to grovel with gratitude for bringing me here, High Lord?"
"Ah. The Suriel told you nothing important, did it?"
That smile of his sparked something bold in my chest. "He also said that you liked being brushed, and if I'm a clever girl, I might train you with treats."

Top Ten Authors I REALLY Want To Meet

This meme is hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish :)

Sarah J. Maas

WHAT I WOULDN'T DO TO MEET THIS AMAZING WOMAN!!!!! I moved to California and I was super excited because what author doesn't come here on their book tours? Apparently SJM. I was probably more depressed over this news then over Dr. Shepherd on Greys Anatomy (I'm 1000000000000000% kidding). But seriously, SJM seems like such a wonderful woman and I'm absolutely dying to wail over Chaolaena to her. And also confess my love for Rowan. And Aedion. And Dorian. And CHAOL<3333333

Jandy Nelson

This woman wields words like no other, and I NEED to meet her. In my opinion, when someone takes as long as she does to write a book, then you know they're putting their heart and soul into it. Both her novels are absolutely breathtaking. I have to tell her this! And it can only happen in person (even though I probably won't get a word out cause I'll be starstruck).

Leigh Bardugo

I know I already met her (not even a month ago) but she was THE FRIGGIN BOMB. Seriously, she's probably my favorite meet-and-greet. She was so funny and down to earth and sweet. If y'all get the chance to meet her, DO IT. And hound her about a novel from Nikolai's POV. Or The Darkling. Honestly I wouldn't mind both. 

Richelle Mead

I met her briefly at YallWest, and I mean BRIEFLY. She was already an hour over her allotted time and everyone was freaking out, so I only got to say a quick hi before she was scribbling her name into my book and my moment of glory was over. So I want to meet her again and really be able to talk to her and tell her how much Rose means to me. She's my idol, and will always hold a place in my heart. I also reeeeally want to ask her about any future books set in the VA world. I heard a rumor that she wants to write one more serious, and wouldn't mind writing it from Rose's pov again. My brain just might crack from the excitement if that were to be true. EEEEP. 

Sara Raasch

I didn't get to meet Raasch at Yallwest cause she fell ill, which was super disappointing. I loved her book, Snow Like Ashes, and had boatloads of questions for her (plus she promised me a picture because we both have colored hair!). So you guys know I'll be jumping at the first chance I get to meet her :)

Maggie Hall

First off, I looooooved her book, The Conspiracy of Us. It's a mystery with wicked cool history, steamy romance, swoon worthy backdrops (Paris? Istanbul? HELLOO), and weaved through all that are hilarious moments that lighten up the mood. Does that not sound awesome or what? PLUS, it kinda-sorta changed my life. Her novel gave me the wanderlust bug. I really hate that reference because bugs are so not okay, but I don't know how else to put it. The book was like a smack upside the head that said "HELLO? THERES A WHOLE WORLD OUT THERE. GO EXPLORE." So that's just what I'm going to be doing in July. So I want to properly thank her and tell her how amazing she is for doing that to me.

Lucy Christopher

I never really talk about this author and her book, Stolen. I'm sure you've heard of it. It's about a girl who gets kidnapped and taken away to live with her captor, and its written in the form of a letter to him. Words cannot even describe the emotional rollercoaster I went through while reading this. I fell, HARD, for the story and Ty and the way the author wrote everything. I've never cried so hard in my entire life. It was so so heartbreaking and I literally was in a daze for a solid 3 days afterwards. So I want to meet the woman that ripped my heart into shreds and tell her how amazing she is for it, and that I'll forever hold her book in the highest regards. I get goosebumps whenever I talk about this.

Alexandra Bracken

I need to meet the woman who created Liam. My sweet, southern, beautiful Liam. He is my realistic boyfriend incarnate (besides the powers of course), and I NEED TO DISCUSS HIM WITH HER. Plus I need to bring up Sparks Rise and the COMPLETELY HEARTBREAKING ENDING WE GOT THERE. Good lord. You know the author is someone to look out for when they make a novella as amazing and sad and beautiful as a full-fledged novel. 

Aaaaaaaand apparently thats it. Don't ask me why. My pot of authors-that-i'm-dying-to-meet is currently empty. 

Happy readings!

Happy Monday!

Hello, everyone! How're you guys doing? Have an awesome weekend? I hope so! This is going to be an extremely busy week for me, but hopefully I can get some reading in. I'm scheduled to work Tuesday-Sunday this week. But I actually really enjoy my work, so I don't mind :)

Finished Last Week
The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

Currently Reading
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (!!!!!!!)

To Read
If I even get to anything this week (work leaves me exhausted enough that I never feel like reading afterwards), it'll probably be either Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley, or Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway.

Also, I would probably be okay if Tamlin, Feyre, and Lucien had to live together forever. THEY'RE THE THREE BEST FRIENDS THAT ANYONE COULD HAAAAVVVVEEEE *dances around while also swooning over Feyre and Tamlin*


Happy readings :)

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: January 27th, 2015

Pages: 501

Song I Played While Reading: Addicted To A Memory by Zedd

Rating: 3.5 stars

Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London...

As Scion turns it's all-seeing eye on Paige, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take center stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. 

Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub street toe secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided. 

When I read the synopsis, I was giddy. How the hell is Paige going to pull off being incognito while trying to revive all the sullen clairvoyants onto her side to defeat Nashira? While also informing them of the Rephaim and not having them run screaming away?? Shannon had her work cut out for her, and she managed to pull it off pretty damn smoothly. 

I read the story with ease, having just finished The Bone Season in April. I was all caught up on the lingo and managed to understand what was happening 95% of the time. This book really dived into the personal growth of our main character, which I always love, but at times it did lag a little. Once we hit that half way point, however, things really started getting intense and life-threatening (the average fantasy heroines shenanigans).

Besides the slow parts, my only real complaint is the writing; I have trouble connecting with the characters and story, and things feel disjointed, as if theres a thin veil between my imagination and what I'm reading. So at times it read a little choppy, especially during some of the action scenes (but during the last scene when she's kicking ass, DAYUM IT WAS AS SMOOTH AS BUTTER). But just like with the first book, Shannon amazes me with her imagination and world building. It's so incredibly complex and made up of layers upon layers of social and political schemes and relations. I personally love reading about the inner-workings of groups and found some parts of this book to be super engrossing. 

We get a deeper look into some of Paige's relationships and I really liked seeing her working with the Seven Seals. Their group is definitely one I find the most interesting, especially concerning Jaxon. He's one of those characters you just love to hate, and I'm insanely curious to see how his character plays out. It's gonna be delicious. 

The ending definitely bumped the overall appeal of this book, and was one of the major high points. Another one was my boy, Warden. Can someone say SEXUAL TENSION? *drools*

Overall, this book was well done and really opened up a boat load of possibilities for these next 5 books. Yeah, you heard me. 5 MORE. I'm almost a little worried that there won't be enough conflict to occupy 5 more 400 page + books. This book truly accomplished a lot, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see what Shannon has up her sleeve for the remaining books!

Quotes

"And words, my walker- well, words are everything. Words give wings to even those who have been stamped upon, broken beyond all hope of repair."

"Scion had planted a vast number of oak trees and thousands of primroses here in memory of Inquisitor Mayfield, who had apparently enjoyed a spot of gardening alongside hanging, burning, and beheading traitors."

"Madness is a mater of perspective, little dreamer." 

Book Haul

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers / Jackaby by William Ritter / Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo / A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab / The Winners Crime by Marie Rutkoski / Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins / The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige / I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios / Reckoning by Kerry Wilkinson 

I also just got A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas in the mail today, which I got after I took this picture. But I hold this book in such a high esteem that I don't even want to bother putting it in a haul when I just need to write I GOT ACOTAR IN THE MAIL AFGHDAOCINUIGHNSJRGBD. It's in its own category of book haul. It's the mother of all book hauls (Queen of Shadows is on par with it) 

Happy (late) Monday!

Hi guys! I COMPLETELY forgot about yesterdays post. I had to work and it was definitely one of the busiest days I've had to do, so to say I was absolutely pooped was an understatement. But I don't want to not post anything cause it's been a couple days since I've blogged, so lets just pretend it's Monday for a moment!

Finished Last Week
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab. It took me days to finish this book, which is extremely odd, so I didn't have an uber exciting reading week.

Currently Reading
The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon. Another book thats taking me a long time to finish, though I think its justified by the amount of work I have now (I went from 2 days to 5 days of it), and the book itself. It's a heavy book, both in size and content.

To-Read
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is my next read WHENEVER IT DECIDES TO GET HERE. DONT DISAPPOINT ME, AMAZON.
Regardless of weather or not I get it in the mail today, I'm still going to buy it at Barnes & Noble. This is my second most anticipated book of the year. More then one copy is A MUST.

Happy reading! :)

April 2015 Wrap Up

I CANT BELIEVE APRIL IS OVER. Seriously. Where did the month go??? At least with the ending of April my allergies are finally gone. Spring takes place in March and the beginning of April here in Sacramento, so we're already well on our way to summer right now (it's going to be in the upper 80's today pray for me).

April was a good month! I read some fantastic novels and want to show you what they are SO LETS GET INTO IT.

- The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

- The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen 

- The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne (I am 10000000% obsessed with her last name)

- Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver 

- The Winners Crime Marie Rutkoski

- A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

- Just One Day by Gayle Forman

- Just One Night by Gayle Forman (not pictured but it's on my kindle)

- Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

- Volition by Lily Paradis

In all I finished 9 1/2 books! I count the novella as half a book. Pretty swell, wouldn't ya say? My favorites would have to be Everything, Everything, The Queen of the Tearling, Just One Night, A Darker Shade of Magic, and The Wrong Side of Right. 

What did you guys read this month? :)