Saturday 15 October 2016

MIA

Hello guys. 

So, as you all know school is a pain. [or at least if you have gone to school, you would know this]. So, I need to take a break from my blog for awhile. This wasn't really my decision, it was more my parents but I think it would be a good idea to take a break. 

I am not sure when I will return to updating. I have lots of ideas for posts so, I will return as soon as I get my school-work in check. 

My guess is that I will return sometime in December but I hope to be able to update during Thanksgiving break because I love writing posts and reviews but December is my guess. 

I will update sooner if possible. 

But, stick with me guys. I'm not going to be gone forever. I love you all and I am sorry about this but it has to be done. 

See you around December! :) 

Friday 14 October 2016

FALL TV

Hello!


I feel like, I’ve been so busy lately, that I haven’t had time to update you guys on anything going on in my life.


Yes, I’ve been back at school for over a month and yes, school sucks so bad. I am literally so bogged down by homework that my blogging and reading schedules have been a total mess. I also just got sick [again!] so I’m not feeling my best. School is seriously the place where diseases live.


But, this post is to update you all about what I will be watching for Fall TV which has started!!


RETURNING SHOWS




Once Upon a Time
[Season 6]
ABC Sunday 8/7 Central


Once Upon a Time is legit my favorite TV show ever, and if you don’t know this by now, you need to go back and go through my posts. I adore this show and will probably watch it until I die because it is so so good.  I started this show when it was on its third season because I hadn’t really known about it before then and let me tell you...I was instantly hooked. I adore fairytales and all that jazz and this just twists them up in the best ways.


Once Upon a Time is now going into its sixth season and I hope this one is good because the last one was amazing. The feels were real. But this season we get Hyde and the Evil Queen and my babies [Captain Swan] are still going strong.  Needless to say, I’ll be catching this show every sunday without fail.




The Flash
[Season 3]
CW Tuesday 8/7 Central


The Flash is so good, I’m telling you. It is based on the DC comics which I have never read but I am going to be continuing this show always. I spent all summer and last month and the beginning of this month, catching up on this show. I love this show, as it is so amazing.  I love the characters and the cast.  


It is on its third season and still going strong. It started really well, with the whole Flashpoint thing but I am a little worried as to where this show is going. I don’t want anything to happen to my precious children. [Especially Barry, Caitlin, Cisco, Jesse, Iris or Wally]




Supergirl
[Season 2]
CW Monday 8/7 Central


Supergirl used to be on CBS but it moved over to the CW because The Flash and Arrow are currently residing on that channel. I love Supergirl so so much. The characters are so lovable, the dialogue is hilarious and the action is done ridiculously well.

This season, I actually have no idea what to expect but some new faces joined the show [Katie McGrath as Lena Luther, Tyler Hoechlin as Superman and Chris Wood as unknown pod person] and I am excited!




Poldark
[Season 2]
PBS Sunday 8/7 Central

This has been on for a couple episodes and I have yet to catch up but I will just as soon as I get some time. I didn't plan on even starting this show but since my mom was watching it last year, I did and it is actually pretty good. Plus Aidan Turner is in it. That's all I have to say...


NEW SHOWS

Timeless
[Season 1]
NBC Monday 10/9 Central

This is a time travel TV Show and I was hooked from the previews. I don't know anyone in the cast though, so its going to be interesting. I have to catch up on this show as well.



Still Star-Crossed
[Season 1]

ABC UNSURE AT THIS TIME

I am unsure when this one is coming out. But it is based on one of my favorite YA books ever. It is set after Romeo and Juliet's deaths and it is about Rosaline and Benevolio and I am so excited but am not that happy about the cast.

And that's all the shows I know I'll watch now.

OCTOBER BOOKS ON MY SHELF '16

October Books on my Shelf!

I got this idea to call it Books on my Shelf from http://cornucopiaofreviews.blogspot.com/

Today I am going to be doing my October TBR. I am sorry that this is so so late. I've been really busy lately, and haven't had time to get this one up. I've already read a couple of these but here is my full list. I may not get through all of these and I added quite a few Halloween type books. Let's get started.



The first book I have on this list is Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. I am so so excited to start this one but also pretty scared because it's the last one and people have said it is sad and I don't want any of my babies to die.

Kaz Brekker and his crew 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 left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, 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 magic in the Grisha world.



The second book on this list is Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard. AHH! There are no words. This was such a good book. It also had plot twists, which was surprising because I thought the plot twists were over. But, I ended up rating this 5 Crowns. More will be said in my review and in my wrap up.

If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. 

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. 

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. 

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?


The third book on this list is Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes. This is the fourth book in the Falling Kingdoms series and I am really excited for this one because Magnus and Cleo.

Rebels, royals, and monsters wage war over the Mytican throne in the shocking fourth book of the Falling Kingdoms series, from New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes.

CLEO: Reeling after a bloody showdown in Limeros ending with Amara’s abduction of the water crystal, and a vacancy in the Mytican throne, Princess Cleo must cast aside her feelings and look toward her kingdom with the eyes of a Queen.

MAGNUS: With the kingdom in chaos, Princess Lucia still missing and quite possibly in danger, and a shocking realization about Cleo, the steely prince is once again torn between love and duty, leaving him wondering whether he’s strong enough to rule his people.

LUCIA: The young sorcercess has had her vengeance after the cruel death of her first and only love. Heartbroken and unable to trust anyone, she allies with the awoken Fire god, who also seeks revenge.

JONAS: After escaping death by the skin of his teeth, the defeated rebel—along with a mysterious stranger–leader reunites with Princess Cleo, only to find himself a mere pawn in a dangerous hunt for the elusive Kindred.

KING GAIUS: Abandoned by Melenia and betrayed by his own children, Gaius flees Mytica and sails to Kraeshia, where he attempts to ally with the famously brutal emperor across the Silver Sea.



The fourth book I have is Ruined by Amy Tintera. I have finished this one as well and it was really good. I went into this one blind but it can kind of be compared to Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard as it has some of the same concepts. I ended up rating it 5 Crowns.

A revenge that will consume her. A love that will ruin her.

Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.

But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.

In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.

Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.



The fifth book I have is Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige. I really enjoyed this one. I actually finished it today. It was an amazing Snow Queen retelling and I loved it. I also got some Frozen vibes from it. And the guys in it [especially Jagger] stole my heart.

First kisses sometimes wake slumbering princesses, undo spells, and spark happily ever afters.

Mine broke Bale.


Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent her life locked in Whittaker Psychiatric—but she isn’t crazy. And that’s not the worst of it. Her very first kiss proves anything but innocent…when Bale, her only love, turns violent.

Despite Snow knowing that Bale would never truly hurt her, he is taken away—dashing her last hope for any sort of future in the mental ward she calls home. With nowhere else to turn, Snow finds herself drawn to a strange new orderly who whispers secrets in the night about a mysterious past and a kingdom that’s hers for the taking—if only she can find her way past the iron gates to the Tree that has been haunting her dreams.

Beyond the Tree lies Algid, a land far away from the real world, frozen by a ruthless king. And there too await the River Witch, a village boy named Kai, the charming thief Jagger, and a prophecy that Snow will save them all



The sixth book I have is And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich. This is something that fits more into the scary book vibe. I am trying out the horror/thriller genre as I haven't read many of those.

Stay away from the woods…

When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt’s home, it’s immediately clear that the manor is cursed. The endless creaking of the house at night and the eerie stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too—questions that Silla can’t ignore: Why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer? Who is the beautiful boy who’s appeared from the woods? And who is the tall man with no eyes who Nori plays with in the basement at nigh…a man no one else can see?

The seventh book I have is Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscolo. I have heard wonderful things about this book and I really want to give it a try. It actually sounds right up my alley.

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world



The eighth book I have is These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly. I am actually scared for this one. It seems like it will be very good but it is a mystery/paranormal and I don't do well with those.

Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo secretly dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.

Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort accidentally shot himself while cleaning his revolver. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.

The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. There are too many secrets. And they all seem to be buried in plain sight. Then she meets Eddie—a young, brash, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. Only now it might be too late to stop.

The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and the truth is the dirtiest part of all.



The ninth book I have is Omega by Lizzy Ford which is an ebook. I have read this and rated it 4 Crowns.

In a modern world ruled by territorial Greek gods, the human race has been oppressed, exploited and now, nearly destroyed by the constant infighting of gods. 

However, a human girl with the power of a goddess is coming of age. Alessandra is the Oracle of Delphi – the last prophesized – and bears the mark of the double omega. Soon after she turns eighteen, Alessandra is told her destiny: to step between the warring gods and the human race and save her world from certain ruin. 

For the gods, her appearance marks the beginning of the end – their end. They and the Triumvirate – leaders of the human elite – who serve them will stop at nothing to preserve their power. 

Alessandra emerges from the forest where she spent her life hidden from gods and men and immediately plummets into a race against time, gods, and herself to discover who and what she is in a world where everyone she meets has a hidden agenda, and those pulling the strings remain in the shadows.

Before she can determine exactly what kind of savior her world needs, she must first master her power by completing three trials devised by the Triumvirate to enslave her. 

One lone girl stands between warring gods and the people she’s destined to protect, but it’s the battle to understand who she is that she must win first.


The last book I have is A Criminal Magic by Lee Kelly. This I am reading for a blog tour and I am really excited as I have heard good things for it.

Magic is powerful, dangerous and addictive - and after passage of the 18th Amendment, it is finally illegal.

It's 1926 in Washington, DC, and while Anti-Sorcery activists have achieved the Prohibition of sorcery, the city's magic underworld is booming. Sorcerers cast illusions to aid mobsters' crime sprees. Smugglers funnel magic contraband in from overseas. Gangs have established secret performance venues where patrons can lose themselves in magic, and take a mind-bending, intoxicating elixir known as the sorcerer's shine.

Joan Kendrick, a young sorcerer from Norfolk County, Virginia accepts an offer to work for DC's most notorious crime syndicate, the Shaw Gang, when her family's home is repossessed. Alex Danfrey, a first-year Federal Prohibition Unit trainee with a complicated past and talents of his own, becomes tapped to go undercover and infiltrate the Shaws.

Through different paths, Joan and Alex tread deep into the violent, dangerous world of criminal magic - and when their paths cross at the Shaws' performance venue, despite their orders, and despite themselves, Joan and Alex become enchanted with one another. But when gang alliances begin to shift, the two sorcerers are forced to question their ultimate allegiances and motivations. And soon, Joan and Alex find themselves pitted against each other in a treacherous, heady game of cat-and-mouse.

A Criminal Magic casts a spell of magic, high stakes and intrigue against the backdrop of a very different Roaring Twenties


That is it for this blogpost. I'll see you all soon.

Wednesday 12 October 2016

SEPTEMBER WRAP UP '16

So, it's the end of the month and that means another wrap-up! I read thirteen books this month which was really good. I'm impressed considering this month has been very stressful what with starting school again and having to have tons of homework piling up throughout the week, so that the weekend is you drowning in homework, rather than making time to study and do something fun.

I didn't watch that much TV this month. I watched a little of Pretty Little Liars which is pretty good so far. And I have been catching up on season 2 of The Flash though I am not done yet. Why must TV show seasons be so long... Once Upon a Time also started up and I am so pumped for this season though it has been dragging a little, compared to the last season.

Anyways...

Time to talk about the books I read this month.


PHYSICAL BOOKS





The first physical book I read was Firstlife by Gena Showalter. This was honestly so much better than I thought it would be. I've had to recheck it out three times. This is about a girl who is locked inside an asylum/mental facility. The reason is because she hasn't chosen where she will live after she dies. That's right. You have to choose a place to live after you die. The two places are Troika and Myriad. They are rivals and enemies. Both will do anything to recruit her, so they each send someone after her. One, the handsome, brooding, bad boy: Killian. And the other the badass, good: Archer. This isn't just a romance. This is a fight for survival. It was so so good and I rated it 5 Crowns.

The second book I read was A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston. I had no expectations for this one because I didn't really know what it was about but I love retellings so I picked it up. It confused me a lot and was kind of slow but at the end, I realized that there were many things that I enjoyed about it. This one is a sort of reimagining of A Thousand and One Nights. Stay tuned for my future review. I rated it 3 1/2 Crowns.



The third book I read was The Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas. This is the second book in the Throne of Glass series which has quickly became one of my favorite Fantasy series. Caelena is such a badass female character who fights for what she thinks is right, no matter what others think. I rated this one 5 Crowns. I will have a review out soon. 

The fourth book I read was False Gods by Yolanda Ramos. I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I ended up enjoying this one a lot despite not reading the first book. This one also surprised me, and had some twists and turns that I never could have seen coming. I ended up rating this one 4 Crowns and I have a full review which I will link later. 


The fifth book I read was The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury. This was an Aladdin retelling. The main character is a jinni who is released from her prison by Aladdin who happens to be my latest book boyfriend. She does a lot of the fighting and isn't a dumpy girl who can't do anything for herself. I really enjoyed this one and it is a fantastic retelling which I rated 5 Crowns. 

The sixth book I read was This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab. This was such a good new fantasy/horror. I didn't expect to like it as I really hated it at the beginning but I quickly began to enjoy it as I ended up loving the characters. And there is no romance in this one which made me really happy as I'm glad to have a good platonic friendship once in a while. I rated this one 4 Crowns. 



The seventh book I read was Maximum Ride The Angel Experiment by James Patterson. I feel like this was more geared towards younger kids/teens but I really enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of the type of writing of Rick Riordan's books. This is about a girl named Max who escaped with her friends from a nightmarish place. She has wings as well as her friends so they are technically 'freaks' and then one of her friends gets kidnapped and they have to rescue her. I rated this 4 Crowns and will be continuing with this series. 

The eighth book I read was Hollow City by Ransom Riggs. I really enjoyed this sequel to the popular Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children book. It was really good and a tad bit better than the first one if I do say so myself. I enjoyed going more in depth to the world and in to the characters. I rated this book 5 Crowns. 





ARC'S READ





The first ARC I read was The Summer Before Forever by Melissa Chambers. I didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped. There were some things in this book that I really didn't approve of and that really threw me off. But I did like the characters as individuals so I rated this 3 Crowns. 

The second ARC I read was The Wrong Prince by C.K. Brooke. This was a really good book that was a Fantasy. I have read another book by this author and I've loved both of them. I gave this one 4 Crowns. 



The third ARC I read was Shadow of a Girl by Shannon Greenland. This book really surprised me. It has a lot of themes that I don't like and it was kind of hard to pull through some scenes at first but it was amazing and I rated it 5 Crowns. Highly, highly recommended. 

The last ARC I read for a blog tour which was Fear the Drowning Deep by Sarah Glenn Marsh. This was such a good and creepy book. I was really upset by the ending though. I rated this one 4 Crowns. 


REVIEWS IN SEPTEMBER:



Fear the Drowning Deep: 4 Crown Rating



OTHER POSTS: 

MUSIC MONDAY:






WEEKLY WRAP-UP:





DISCUSSIONS/OTHER:




FAVORITE COVER OF THE MONTH:




NEW FICTIONAL BAE'S: 


Killian from Firstlife




TV SHOWS I WATCHED THIS MONTH:



WHAT BOOKS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:











Tuesday 11 October 2016

Weekly Update: 10/3 - 10/9

I have decided to start doing a weekly post called weekly recap where I update you on my life, reading and watching. Plus any posts I have done or will do.

I had another pretty bad week. October has just been a bad month for me. I've literally read two books so far and have a huge TBR. I'm going to aim for seven books this month but that may be overshot. Blogging is not going well either. I feel like by December, I'll be able to update more. I just have so much work and I am also doing pit orchestra for my school's musical so that takes up the afternoons of some days and then I have to go do homework. I am even not caught up with my tv shows.

I'm sorry for the lack of posts this week as well!

New Books

Purchased:




Library: 

 
 




Received for Review: 





In Case You Missed It


This Week I Read
  
  




Next Week I'm Reading








Upcoming Reviews






Upcoming Posts



Monday:  Music Monday featuring Kill of the Night by Gin Wigmore

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday is All About the Villains so I am doing both Favorite TV/Movie Villains and Top Villains I Secretly Love 

Wednesday: September Wrap Up + October TBR + What I am Watching This Fall

Thursday: NONE

Friday: Shadow of a Girl Book Review

Saturday: Six of Crows Review 

Sunday: TBD






Around the Blog Community



Bekka over at Pretty Deadly Reviews did a review of With Malice

Aimal over at Bookshelves and Paperbacks did a discussion on Crooked Kingdom