Friday, 24 January 2020

2019 End of Year Survey



Hello guys. Today, I will be doing the 2019 End of Year Survey. I've done this a couple of times on this blog and I am excited to be bringing this back. 

Let's jump into it. 

This was created by Jamie at the Perpetual Page Turner 


2019 READING STATS

Number of Books You Read: 82
Number of Rereads: 4
Number of Pages: 32,356
Genre You Read the Most From: YA Fantasy




1. Best Book You Read in 2019


The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. I had so many four and five star reads but these were my ultimate favorites. 

2. Book You Were Really Excited For and Thought You Would Love More But Didn't? 


Songs From the Deep by Kelly Powell.  I was really disappointed with this book because I was promised sirens and though they were in the book, we didn't get to see much of them. 

3. Most Surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?


Give the Dark my Love by Beth Revis and The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. I really enjoyed these and I wasn't sure that I was going to love them so much!

4. Book You 'Pushed' The Most People to Read (and they did)?



The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 

5. Best Series You Started in 2019? Best Sequel? Best Series Ender?



Best Series: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Best Sequel: Kingsbane by Claire Legrand

Best Series Ender: Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2019?

Rin Chupeco and Danielle L. Jensen. They are both new to me authors but not debut authors from this year. 


7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?




A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness and The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. I never read Adult Books and I loved these which was an amazing surprise. 


 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?





Contagion by Erin Bowman and The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I read Contagion by Erin Bowman last year, but I still had to put this one on this list. 



 9. Book You Read In 2019 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?






10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2019?



Stain by A.G. Howard has such a beautiful cover!

11. Most memorable character/s of 2019?


 


Jude and Cardan from the The Cruel Prince by Holly Black are some of my favorite characters from this year. Also, how beautiful is this fanart? I have it linked later on in this post.  

Some honorable mentions are Loki from Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee and the Aurora Rising crew from Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff




 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2019?



Stain by A.G. Howard and The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White both had beautiful writing and I loved how the authors structured the stories.



13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2019?


 

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng was a book that I had to read for an English class in College and it was very thought-provoking and interesting. 



 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2019 to finally read? 



Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen is a book that I have had on my shelf for at least three years and I didn't pick it up until 2019 when I was going through some of my books. I loved this book and i can't believe that it took me this long to read. 



 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2019?


These are a couple passages/quotes that I enjoyed. 

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." - Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

"If I can't be better than them, I will become so much worse." The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 

"Books were, and always would be, something a little magic and something to respect." - The Hating Game by Sally Thorne




16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017?








 17. Book That Shocked You The Most


 


Kingsbane by Claire Legrand had a huge plot twist (which I won't spoil) but it was very shocking. 




18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)






19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year




The Aurora Rising Crew's relationship with one another was amazing. Most of them started out as strangers but they became close after a life altering journey!



20. Favorite Book You Read in 2019 From An Author You’ve Read Previously



The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins. I loved both of these and I have read other books by both of these authors previously. I know that I've answered The Cruel Prince for so many of these questions, but it really was one of my favorite books of 2019. 




21. Best Book You Read In 2019 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:



The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. 

 I read both of these books solely based on recommendations on Goodreads and in the blogging community and I am so glad that I did because I really enjoyed both of these!


22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2019?



I have a lot but the main one is definitely Cardan from The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. 

23. Best 2019 debut you read?


 

I loved We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal as though it wasn't a super unique concept, the writing itself felt very original. I can't wait to see what else this author has in store. 


24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?


 

Stain by A.G. Howard had a very vivid setting and great world-building. 


25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?



The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren and Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff were both so fun to read. 




26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2019?


  

 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid was a very emotional book and I am not surprised that I cried while reading it. 



27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?



Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins and Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan were both super fun and cute contemporaries and I highly recommend them! 




28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?







29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2019?



Circe by Madeline Miller was probably the most unique book I read.


30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?



Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell and The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas both made me mad because I had high hopes for them and they didn't meet them. 





1. Favorite Review that You Wrote in 2019? 

To Kill the Kingdom by Alexandra Christo Book Review

2. Best Non-Review Post? 

Favorite Spooky/Scary Books for the Halloween Season

3. Most Challenging Thing About Blogging or Your Reading Life This Year? 

Writing Reviews is always a challenging part of blogging, especially when I have other things to do such as homework or work. I am trying to get better at it

4. Best Bookish Discovery? 

I discovered that I really like Adult Rom-Com Romance books such as The Hating Game by Sally Thorne and The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. 

5. Did You Complete Any Reading Challenges or Goals that you set for yourself? 

Yes, I did. I did a whole post on this which you can find here.




1. One Book You Didn't Get To In 2019 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2020? 


The Wicked King by Holly Black

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2020 (non-debut)?






3. 2020 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?






 4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2020?




5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2020?


I hope to write more reviews in 2020 because I often put off writing those posts. 
What were some of your favorite books that you read in 2019?

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Tuesday, 21 January 2020

Crier's War by Nina Varela Book Review

This is a spoiler free review.



Crier's War
Written by Nina Varela
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Pages: 448
Source: Library
Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 13 and up!


Summary:

After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, designed to be the playthings of royals, usurped their owners’ estates and bent the human race to their will.

Now Ayla, a human servant rising in the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging her family’s death…by killing the sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier.

Crier was Made to be beautiful, flawless, and to carry on her father’s legacy. But that was before her betrothal to the enigmatic Scyre Kinok, before she discovered her father isn’t the benevolent king she once admired, and most importantly, before she met Ayla.

Now, with growing human unrest across the land, pressures from a foreign queen, and an evil new leader on the rise, Crier and Ayla find there may be only one path to love: war.

(Summary from Goodreads)

Review:

 Crier's War by Nina Varela is a book that I heard a lot about all over Goodreads but I didn't really know what it was about and I am very glad that I went into it blind. This book is filled with revenge, mystery, betrayal and an adorable friendship/romance.

COVER

 I think the cover is very unique though I'm not sure how I feel about it. I don't like the colors of the cover but I really like the sort of etchings that around the cover which are very pretty.

WORLD-BUILDING

Crier's War is set in an alternative future where alchemists have created mechanical people who are called Automaes. These Automae were created for a powerful queen, who could not bear children, could have an heir, but soon Automae were forged for other human pleasures and uses. However, the Automae soon rose up and conquered the humans who had originally made them. And now the world is unsafe for the humans, and they are mostly treated as servants and allowed very few liberties. Nina Varela is able to introduce new information to the reader as well as maintain the fairly brisk pace of the plot.

Then there are the characters. (This book is told in two POVs)


CRIER
"Crier was beautiful. Created to be beautiful, but it was more than that. [...] It was the way her eyes lit up with interest, the way her fingers were always so careful, almost reverent, as she flipped the pages of a book."

 Crier is one of two female protagonists and wishes to move up in the world of Automae politics. She thinks she can fix the unjust system that Automae follow, if only she could make other Automae listen to her arguments, which makes her a little bit naive. Despite this, she is smart and sharp as well as patient. She is used to playing the long game and waiting to get what she wants. Throughout the book she slowly adjusts to the world of manipulations and scheming and begins some of her own. Crier became a very strong female protagonist and her development as she learned that she could be her own person was beautiful.

AYLA

 "Like she was more than a human girl. Like she was a summer storm made of flesh."

 Ayla is a human girl who has a need for revenge against the Automa who killed her family. She becomes a handmaiden for Crier and takes the opportunity in order to learn more about her enemy. Ayla abhors Automa and she doesn't forget it even as she works for Crier and becomes her 'friend'. She refuses to be played by Crier's kindness and gentleness and steels herself against her, however, it doesn't completely work. She places her moral code above her own happiness, and tries to be cold, blunt and judgemental, however the emotions that she's tried so hard to conceal come bubbling up to the surface. I think Ayla grows throughout the book, however her initial thoughts and biases are still always present no matter how much time she spends with the Automae Crier.

FRIENDSHIP/FAMILY

 We see a bit of Crier's relationship with her 'father' though it isn't the most positive of relationships. Her father seems more concerned by the appearance of his family rather than how Crier is actually feeling about her upcoming marriage and the other changes in her life. Crier seems to realize throughout the book that her father cares more about his political stance than anything else.

PLOT

Crier's War is set in an alternative future. One where alchemists have crafted mechanical people, called Automaes, who now rule over the humans. The humans originally created them so a powerful queen who could not have children, could have an heir but afterwards Automaes were forged for other human pleasures. However, these Automae rose up and conquered the humans that had made them, making the world a very unsafe and oppressive world for the humans to live in.

Ayla is a human girl who craves revenge against the Automa who killed her family. She is a servant who works for the Automa king, Hesod, and one day she saves the princess' life. The princess is named Crier and she offers a job to Ayla as her handmaiden. Ayla accepts the job in order to learn more about her enemy and finally put her revenge plot in action. However, nothing is as she thought and she soon finds herself sympathizing with her enemy and questioning if she can go through with her revenge, even though a lot more people are now counting on her. The plot of Crier's War was a high stakes, intense adventure. There were various political intrigues, manipulations and brewing revolutions that kept you anticipating each new turn of events.

ROMANCE

 The romance in this book was done really well. It was a slow-burn enemies to almost lovers between two women. Their love is forbidden because one is a princess Automae betrothed to another and the other is a human servant girl. I really liked how Nina Varela developed their relationship as they grew from enemies to slowly being friends, even though still didn't know if they could trust each other.

WRITING

 I really enjoyed Nina Varela's writing. She is able to construct the first book in a new fantasy series in such a way that just makes you want to continue. She was able to introduce new information to the reader as well as maintain the fairly brisk pace of the plot. I also really liked how she was able to add flashbacks in without making it confusing to the main plot.

FINAL THOUGHTS

 Crier's War is a fast-paced well-written debut filled with political intrigue, lush writing, enticing characters and a thrilling plot. I recommend this to everyone and I can't wait to see what the sequel entails.


Quotes from the Book:

“Humanity is how you act, my lady,” said Jezen. “Now how you were Made.”

“Justice was a god, and Ayla didn’t believe in such childish things. She believed in blood.”






My Rating: 5 out of 5 Crowns
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Friday, 10 January 2020

December '19 Wrap-Up


Time for another wrap up!

December was a pretty good blogging and reading month. I managed to read five books and I enjoyed most of them and I won my Goodreads 2019 Challenge!

Here's to 2020 being an amazing reading year!

 Anyways...

Time to talk about the books I read this month.


PHYSICAL BOOKS


The first book I read was The Lady and the Highwayman by Sarah M. Eden. This is about a woman named Elizabeth who is the headmistress of a girls' school and a well-respected author of novels written for an about the upper-class ladies of Victorian society. However, at night she writes Penny Dreadfuls (under a pseudonym known as Mr. King) that are all the rage among the working class. Meanwhile, the other protagonist, Fletcher, is a successful author in the Penny Dreadful market, until Mr. King starts taking all of his readers and thus his profits. No one knows who King is and so, Fletcher sets out to find out and enlists Elizabeth to help him with his inquiries. I thought this was a cute and a really interesting book which was different from many of the historical books that I've read. I ended up rating it 4 Crowns. 

The second book I read was A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy. This is about a princess named Eva, who must fight her sister, Isa, to the death in order to rule their kingdom. Eva is the first person in a century who has had the magick of blood and marrow, and she has to learn to control it in order to win. I really liked this one and I was surprised that it wasn't as dark as I'd originally thought. I ended up rating it 4 Crowns.  




The third book I read was Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell. This was a book that I had pretty high expectations for because of the fact that it includes sirens. However, I ended up not enjoying it as much as I'd hoped. This is about an island town whose waters hide deadly sirens. Moira (the main character) loves to play her violin on the edge of the sea, despite the threat of the sirens. Then, when a young boy is found dead on the beach, the islanders assume that he's a victim of the sirens', but Moira doesn't believe it.  She is sure that someone has framed the boy's death and she convinces her childhood friend, Jude, to help her find the real killer which rekindles their friendship. I liked the relationship between Jude and Moira and I liked them as characters, however, I really didn't like the plot as I had hoped that there would be more sirens. I ended up rating it 3 Crowns. 

The fourth book I read was House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A Craig. This is another sea type book which is also a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I actually really enjoyed this book and I did a full review of it. This is about Annaleigh, who lives at Highmoor with her father, stepmother and sisters. They were originally a household of twelve happy sisters, but have now been reduced to eight sisters. Each death has been more tragic than the last and Annaleigh begins to suspect her sisters didn't die of natural causes and that there's something else going on. When she finds out her sisters are sneaking out and attending beautiful, glitzy balls, she's not sure whether to join them or tell them off as she's not sure who or what they are really dancing with. I loved this book and ended up rating it 4 Crowns. 


AUDIOBOOKS READ


The first and only audiobook I read was Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep. I have been trying to finish this audiobook for awhile but audiobooks are not the easiest for me to finish. This is about Lady Everleigh who is seventeenth in line for the throne, with seemingly useless abilities, and overlooked by the other royals. However, when her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie and the rest of the royal family are also attatched. Luckily for Evie, she has a secret immunity to magic which helps her escape the massacre. Evie falls in with a gladiator troupe and begins training until she can decide her next move. I really enjoyed this book and I loved all the characters and how character driven it was. I rated it 4 Crowns. 


ARC'S READ

NONE


REVIEWS IN DECEMBER: 

NONE


WEEKLY WRAP-UP:

NONE

DISCUSSIONS/OTHER:

November '19 Wrap-Up

Wintery Themed Books

Winter 2020 Books I'm Excited For

2020 Goals and 2019 Wrap-Up

FAVORITE COVER OF THE MONTH:



NEW FICTIONAL BAE'S: 

Sullivan from Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep

Fletcher by The Lady and the Highwayman from Sarah M. Eden

Aketo from A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy

Falun from A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy

Cassius from House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig


NEW FAVORITE FEMALES: 

Lady Everleigh from Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep

Elizabeth from The Lady and the Highwayman from Sarah M. Eden

Eva from A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy

Annaleigh from House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig


NEW FAVORITE BOOK RELATIONSHIPS: 

Fletcher and Elizabeth from The Lady and the Highwayman from Sarah M. Eden

Annaleigh and Cassius from House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig



TV SHOWS I WATCHED THIS MONTH:



MOVIES I WATCHED THIS MONTH:




WHAT BOOKS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:



There's so many more but these are the main ones! 


NEW BLOG FINDS

NONE


SONGS ON REPEAT

Frozen 2 Soundtrack - Frozen 

demons - Hayley Kiyoko 

Siren - Kailee Morgue 

Preacher Man - The Driver Era 

Time Machine - Ingrid Michaelson 

Adore You - Harry Styles

Let Me Down Slowly - Alec Benjamin

Sad Holiday - Niki Demar 

Christmas Tree Farm - Taylor Swift

Christmas Songs Playlist on Spotify 


 BOOKS I WANT TO READ NEXT MONTH

  



The graphics at the top belong to me. The background pictures for them, however do not.

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