review

I had such great expectations reaching for ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ mostly because of everyone’s great reviews, and I was really disappointed. It was a really twisted retelling of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ – definitely one involving more blood. The only thing resembling the Disney fairy-tale was the presence of a prince, a monster and a curse. There weren’t any talking clocks or candlesticks, there wasn’t a smart or kind princess and there were too many people – the whole point of the Beast was his loneliness and his isolation from the world. The entire love story was really non-existent, and the curse-breaking was so accidental I almost have no idea how it happened. Additionally, the last character was such a plot twist – it was really unlikely and forced. It’s obvious that the author had a second book in mind, but in my opinion, she should’ve stuck to one. Additionally, the world-building was a little bit unclear to me. What was positive about ‘The Curse So Dark and Lonely’ was the writing – despite its faults, the book was easy to read. I managed to read it in two sittings, even though the characters and the plot annoyed me.

I swear, all the main characters are written strictly to annoy the hell out of me. Harper is such an annoying, non-decision and reckless character, and I couldn’t stand her throughout the book. The continuity of her getting everyone in trouble just because she had to have it her way made me want to properly shake her (or slap her). Grey was a great character, always staying in his role as a Commander, but I couldn’t help but think that he was too stiff? After all that time with Rhen, he was still the same strict soldier – that’s a bit hard to believe. Rhen is a typical, spoilt prince, but it’s clear he is overwhelmed with the choices he made before. While reading the story from Rhen’s point of view, I also felt like his regret was forced – there were too many thoughts regarding his past to make it believable. Despite his dissimilarity to the original Beast, he was probably the best part of this book – the most intriguing one, always calculating and thinking ahead. I feel like I should talk about the enchantress, Lilith, who was a villain in this story. But she was evil to the bone, without any backstory, but as we all know the best villains should have a good backstory. The characters in ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ were meant to be complexed and unorthodox, but they ended up being annoying and every single of their traits appeared to be enforced and unnatural.

The book was either boring or really rushed, and the plot repeated the same schemes all the time – Harper runs, Rhen and Grey follow her, save her and help the people of Emberfall. Rhen fell in love with Harper really quickly – too quickly, considering that the only thing that fascinated him about Harper was her constant rebellion and resistance. I wouldn’t recommend ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ unless you really like twisted fairytales and the main characters don’t bother you.

synopsis

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin. (via goodreads.com)

Infinity Son (Infinity Cycle #1) by Adam Silvera – January 14^th 2020

This year I’ve read “They Both Die At The End” by Adam Silvera, which left me wanting more of his writing. And this one has magic in it, and two brothers getting caught up in a war, which sounds like a recipe for a heart-breaking disaster.

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34510711-infinity-son

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light – February 18^th 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45891343-the-upside-of-falling

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller – February 25^th 2020

THIS LOOKS LIKE MY KIND OF ROMANCE. Magic, shadows and seduction – what can a girl want more than a disaster mission to make a king of shadow fell in love with a protagonist. Also, Tricia Levenseller is such a great author (so far I’ve only read Daughter of the Pirate King duology, but I’m excited by her other books).

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35702241-the-shadows-between-us

Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold – February 25^th 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43721070-red-hood

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas – March 3^rd 2020

With my love for A Court of Thorns and Roses series, it is not a big surprise that I cannot wait for Maas’ newest book series. I’m really curious to read about demons and angels from her point of view. After all, I really enjoyed her take on faeries (and her talent for creating swoon-worthy characters).

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44778083-house-of-earth-and-blood

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu – March 3^rd 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34213299-the-kingdom-of-back

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane – March 24^th 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46650016-if-i-never-met-you

Ruthless Gods (Something Dark and Holy #2) by Emily A. Duncan – April 7^th 2020

The first book in the series, Wicked Saints, has left me absolutely shattered and was one of my favourite reads of 2019. I got a serious Leigh Bardugo vibe (and Bardugo is my favourite author ever), which I really loved. The ending of the first book has left me wanting more, so I really cannot wait for this premiere.

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40126121-ruthless-gods

Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle #2) by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman – May 5^th 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40516960-aurora-burning

House of Dragons (House of Dragons #1) by Jessica Cluess – May 12^th 2020

Dragons and a group of disaster characters? Count me right in. This is probably one of my most anticipated releases of 2020, even though I haven’t read any of the author’s books before. But, hey, it has dragons inside so it has to be good, right?

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44603554-house-of-dragons

The Kinder Poison (The Kinder Poison #1) by Natalie Mae – June 16^th 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42893340-the-kinder-poison

Seasons of the Storm (Seasons of the Storm #1) by Elle Cosimano – June 23^rd 2020

Okay, so I got Jack Frost vibes from the synopsis. And Winter and Spring falling in love? That sounds amazing and totally different, so I’m really excited to read that.

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48245147-seasons-of-the-storm

Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross – June 23^rd 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48245040-sisters-of-sword-and-song

Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire #1) by Jay Kristoff – September 3^rd 2020

In 2019 is the year I finally read Jay Kristoff, and it was amazing. I have no doubts that he is going to write an amazing book about vampires (I mean, vampires are making a comeback, right?)

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43728380-empire-of-the-vampire

Set Fire to the Gods (Set Fire to the Gods #1) by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons – August 4^th 2020

Gladiators? Gladiators.

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41954467-set-fire-to-the-gods

The Winds of Winter (A Song of Ice and Fire #6) by George R.R. Martin – no date

I know, I know – there isn’t an official date just yet, but one can hope, right? Though after watching season 8 of the show, I’m a bit wary about reading this final book in the series.

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12111823-the-winds-of-winter

synopsis

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all. (synopsis via goodreads.com)

This review may contain spoilers.

review

‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ is a nice book to read in one sitting, perfect for a Saturday night in. It’s an easy read that keeps you glued to the story of Lara Jean, her high school dramas, but also her thoughts and feelings. I decided to read the book only after I have watched and loved the movie. Now I think I should have read the book first, because now I’m a bit disappointed in the book (especially it’s ending), even though it was still great. The book quickly caught my full attention, and I spent a pleasant afternoon reading about Lara Jean’s life, and her dramatic relationship with Peter. The book kept me on my toes, despite the fact that I knew the ending – and in some situations, it definitely surprised me.

I liked Lara Jean’s character – she was one of the characters I could identify with, which is rare in the YA world full of brave, kick-ass heroines. She was shy and anxious, but she could also be unpleasant. As much as I like badass characters, sometimes I love to read a book with a normal teenager, who has everyday struggles, just like I do. I could identify with her imagined boyfriends, her fears (especially the one about driving), and I could understand why she acted one way or another.  I didn’t like Margot in the book – she was rude, and distanced from her family. She left for Scotland and instantly stopped contacting Lara Jean, and they were so close before she left. Obviously, I love Peter Kavinsky – and I think it might be problematic because he is so adorable I just couldn’t help smiling when I read about him. Sure, he can be a complete asshole (excuse my language), but he really cared about Lara Jean, and he did so many cute things – it was clear he cared for Lara Jean from almost the beginning. I did feel sorry for him when he couldn’t get over Gen, who by the way is a total jerk. While I liked Josh in the movie, book Josh struck me as indecisive and simply jealous of Peter, even though he claimed he was in love with Margot.

I really liked the small details in the book – for example, the fact that Peter’s friends actually liked Lara Jean, or the trip to the antique sale (it was a really nice touch, which showed how much Peter and Lara Jean enjoyed each other’s company). Also, reading the book from Lara Jean’s perspective made me understand her, and her motives better. I also like how the book gives Lara Jean and Peter time to get to know each other again – nothing felt forced or rushed. The relationship between three sisters was a little bit weird for me – how they can just stop talking to each other, especially how close they were before.

I cannot decide whether I liked the book or the movie more. I like how different the details were – for example in the movie Josh didn’t kiss Lara Jean (which, by the way, forced me to put down the book for a while). After seeing the movie, I felt a bit disappointed by the book’s ending – I was expecting a grand kiss at the end. I really wish got to see Peter and Lara Jean sort out their argument in the book. But it definitely made more excited for ‘P.S. I love you’. Despite the disappointing ending, I think that both the book and the movie are great, and I can’t wait to both read and watch the second part.

Hello, beautiful people! February is already over (how the time passes by), so it’s time for another wrap-up. This month was an amazing reading month for me, because all of my exams were over, and because at the beginning of the new university semester there isn’t much to do. I managed to read eleven books, and I started another four, which is a really good score for me.

’Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – The Original Screenplay’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★

I feel a little bit like I’m giving stars for the movie, rather than the screenplay. As much as I love the Harry Potter universe, reading screenplays is just not for me. What made reading it a bit easier, was the fact that I have already seen the movie and I could imagine the scenarios in which the scenes were written. I gave it four stars mostly because it’s ‘Harry Potter’ – it’s like coming home after a long break.

‘Fire and Blood’ George Martin
★★★

In Poland, this book was divided into two, which really annoyed me. ‘Fire and Blood’ is about the history of Targaryen’s – one of the main houses in ‘Game of Thrones’ series. I liked going back to Westeros and learning a bit more about its history. What I didn’t like though was the number of difficult names and details which were unnecessary for the story. I think this book came out too early, definitely too early to be a ‘Similarion’.

‘The Heart of a Changeling’ Caitlyn E. Lloyd
★★★★★

I’m so in love with this book, and I’m not just saying that because it had fae in it. It really is incredible – the plot is remarkable, the characters have an amazing development and are badass, and the world-building is just so good. Nora is such a good heroine, she is sassy and funny. The fae is just breath-taking, and so is the entire book. Just read it. It’s going to take over your life, but it’s totally worth it.

‘Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda’ Becky Albertalli
★★★★

I read that book, and then I saw the movie – the movie is horrible compared to this book. ‘Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda’ is just perfect for a cosy, Saturday afternoon spends in the bed with a book. It is just a cosy read, about friendship and coming out. Simon is a total cinnamon roll, and in general, this book is worth reading. It’s not going to take over your life, but I can guarantee that it’s going to make you smile for an entire afternoon.

‘The Kane Chronicles’ Rick Riordan – ‘The Red Pyramid’, ‘The Throne of Fire’, and ‘The Serpent’s Shadow’
★★★★★

So I might have reread this series in one weekend, but oh well – I have no self-control when it comes to good because about mythology, especially if they were written by Rick Riordan, who is probably the funniest author I have ever read. ‘The Kane Chronicles’ are full of jokes, sibling squabbles and Egyptian gods, so if you are a mythology freak you should totally read it. Or if you are a fan of good books. Either one works.

‘Nocturnal Meetings of the Misplaced’ R.J. Garcia
★★

The beginning of the book dragged on unmercifully – I was really bored for the most part of the book. I was listening to an audiobook, but it felt like some part of the book was missing – like an author skipped an important part of the book, like it was cut out. What I liked the most was the sibling love between Izzy and Tommy, and instant friendship between Finn and Tommy. Also, I liked the small town vibe – it’s a very good background for a murder. Basically, I think I could have liked this book if I was younger if the beginning wasn’t so dull, and if I read it in print.

‘King of Scars’ Leigh Bardugo
★★★★

That book is so good, as is anything written by Leigh Bardugo. I’m so glad I got to read about all of my favourite characters again – Nikolai, Nina, Zoya are just the best characters ever, and they are so confident. The only reason I didn’t give ‘King of Scars’ five stars is a certain situation on a Fold, but I won’t say more since I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone. The book is definitely worth reading, and I loved it.

‘Girls of Paper and Fire’ Natasha Ngan
★★★★

I’m not sure how I feel about this book if I’m being honest. It was definitely something different from what I have read. I wasn’t expecting it to be so brutal, and low-key I was expecting the king to turn out to be a nice guy. It made me think a little bit of ‘Grace and Fury’, but ‘Girls of Paper and Fire’ were much better. I liked the world-building, the characters (Wren is such a badass), and the love story. It’s high time we got a book set in another realm that had such an amazing relationship between two girls. Yet, I don’t feel fully satisfied with this book, but I don’t really know why.

‘I’ll Be There for You’ Kelsey Miller
★★★★

I loved returning to FRIENDS, especially in the book form. The book was full of interesting tidbits, and facts about the cast of the tv show. What I didn’t like was the amount of space the author dedicated to sexism and another social issue that apparently took place in the FRIENDS – I know these are important topics, but I fell that discussing that is like missing the point of what that tv show is. FRIENDS were supposed to be a soft, funny tv show made strictly for entertainment, and that’s also what I wanted that book to be. Sadly, it was something else.

Just a short post, because January was a busy month for me, and so is the beginning of the February. I didn’t read a lot this month, but my definite favourite I discovered this month was ‘All for the Game’ series by Nora Sakavic. I absolutely fell in love with this series, and I have a feeling you are going to hear much more about it from me.

‘The Foxhole Court’ Nora Sakavic
★★★★★

Oh. My. God. This book (this series) broke my heart like no other book before it (maybe ‘Lost Boy’ by Christina Henry can compete, but only maybe). I have been waiting to read a good gang story since ‘Six of Crows’, and I got one. ‘The Foxhole Court’ is incredible – the characters are so amazing, unpredictable, and so twisted that you have no choice but to love them. I think I’m going to do a full review on this series when I have time because I feel like I could talk about it forever.

‘Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Ship of the Dead’ Rick Riordan
★★★

I am so disappointed with this series, and even more with this final book of ‘Magnus Chase’ trilogy. I adore Rick Riordan and his writing, but this one felt a bit too forced when it comes to funniness, and the amount of diversity felt a bit overwhelming. This series just did not click for me, even though I still laughed at the funnier parts. My favourite character was Mangus’ sword, and I think it says a lot about this book.

‘The Wicked King’ Holly Black
★★★★

It did not click for me the way ‘The Cruel Prince’ did. I don’t think I can explain it, but I feel like all the action was packed in the last two chapters. What I loved about this book though, was Cardan, and his character development – he finally became a king – and took the matters into his own hands. Jude was a bit annoying in this one, but I blame it on her family – it must be difficult to rule a country without being able to trust someone. AND THAT ENDING. No spoilers, but holy cow.

‘The King’s Men’ Nora Sakavic
★★★★★

Can I marry this series, please? I swear I will protect all the characters, even though they would probably kill me for even suggesting this. I have so many feelings regarding this series – I adore Andrew Minyard, Neil Josten, Nicky is such a cinnamon roll, and the other Foxes are all incredible. Allison is a freakin’ badass, and Matt is just perfection.

‘The Language of Thorns’ Leigh Bardugo
★★★★

To be honest, I would probably love a book about eating breakfast if it was written by Leigh Bardugo. I loved these short tales, taking place in the Grishaverse universe. I absolutely adore Leigh Bardugo, and the stories were amazing (as I thought they would be).

This month was also a good reading month for me – I have to admit that bookstagram is really motivating me to read more (not to mention all the book recommendations). Both October and November are ‘Harry Potter’ months for me, so I’ve mostly reread the series. I’ve also started rereading ‘Grisha Trilogy’, even though I read it in July. Overall, I liked all the books I’ve read this month so here they are.

‘Shadow and Bone’ Leigh Bardugo
★★★★★

Even though, I have read ‘The Grisha Trilogy’ for the first time this summer, I fell in love with these books. So when it turned out that FierceReads is doing #ShadowandBoneTrilogyReread I just had to join. ‘Shadow and Bone’ was as amazing as it was when I first read it, and I cannot wait for ‘King of Scars’ so I can get more Grisha, Nikolai and more Nina from ‘Six of Crows’.

‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

The continuation of my October ‘Harry Potter’ reread – I did not manage to complete it in one month, but I hope to finish it by the end of the year. I honestly cry every time the Marauders are mentioned, so this one was very teary. BUT I’M NOT ASHAMED OF IT, OKAY? Basically, this part was very emotional, also I’m kind of sad it was the last book where we got Oliver Wood and his Quidditch obsession. In conclusion, ‘Harry Potter’ is my life, Remus Lupin is cinnamon roll that needs to be protected and Sirius Black is perfect.

‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

Let me just tell you, I was not ready for Cedric’s death. I knew it was coming – I mean, I have read this series what feels like a hundred times. But after such a break in reading those books, I cried my eyes out on his death scene. Also, I noticed how much of a cinnamon roll he is. And did I mention getting teary every time Sirius, James or Lily are mentioned? Every. Damn. Time. I’m such a cry baby when it comes to books. Getting away from the subject, I know. Basically, I love ‘Harry Potter’.

‘Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

This book is simultaneously my favourite and my least favourite. It is incredible because of all the jokes and pranks that Fred and George did. But it is horrible because of what Harry had to go through and, because of Sirius’ death. I understand why she killed him, though I don’t think I could ever forgive her for that. Also, this is the book where one starts to realise that Dumbledore wasn’t so great. Well, now I’m off to read the next part. Hopefully, it won’t make me cry so much.

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

This the part that conceived me that I dislike Severus Snape. What I love most about this part is the fact that Draco is shown as a victim of a war, and Ginny is presented as a badass (which she is). I also always liked Dumbledore’s lessons with Harry – it helped me understand Voldemort much better. I always feel weird writing about ‘Harry Potter’, because I feel like I could talk about it forever, and this is just supposed to be some kind of conclusion.

‘What Could Possibly Go Wrong…’ Jeremy Clarkson
★★★★

To be quite honest with you, I don’t give a damn about cars. I know basic brands, and I know whether I think a car is beautiful or not. But I adore Jeremy Clarkson’s books – his humour is incredibly witty, and he probably offends everyone in Great Britain. This book focused mainly on cars, but I still found a few columns I loved. Some fragments made me laugh out loud, and I just had to read them aloud to my parents. Now I need to find a book of his in my house that I haven’t read yet…

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

I managed to finish ‘Harry Potter’ series in two months! (I was supposed to do it in one, but oh well, life happened). It has been so many years, and I still cry every damn time I read this book. Also, I still haven’t forgiven J.K. Rowling for so many deaths, but now as I read it when I’m older, I cannot forgive her for mistreating Slytherins the way she did. Overall, this book is neither my favourite or my least favourite. My favourite parts of this book are the beginning and the ending – especially the fight between Harry and Voldemort. I guess now I’m off to watch the movies…

‘Red Rising’ Pierce Brown
★★★★

Rarely does a book surprise me – usually when I don’t like the beginning, I don’t like the whole book. When I’ve started ‘Red Rising’, I thought it was dull and confusing (I don’t usually like such confusing worlds which are presented in such a confusing way). But after reaching 150 it pulled me in, and I ended up staying up till 3 am to finish this book. My favourite thing about ‘Red Rising’ was the main character, Darrow. He is everything a protagonist should be and now he is my favourite male hero.

‘Sword of Destiny’ Andrzej Sapkowski
★★★★★

Finally, after many years, I proceeded to reading the rest of ‘The Witcher’ series. Can I just say it’s only thanks to my sickness that I’ve read it? So thanks! I like the format of stories, though I’ve never thought I would. Geralt is one of my favourite protagonists, even though he is socially awkward. Jaskier is annoying, but aren’t all bards? And Yennefer is queen, but I cannot wait to finally meet Triss!

‘Blood of Elves’ Andrzej Sapkowski
★★★★★

Let me just tell you that being sick is really helpful in reading books (just sayin’). I love all of the characters – even though Jaskier is still annoying. And Yennefer is a really difficult human being. This is the book where everything starts to be complicated – the plot, the geography and the alliances. I had to be focused all the time in order to be caught up with who is who. But I loved it nonetheless, and I cannot wait to read book four!

October was such a good reading month for me! Honestly! I have managed to read 10 books which, compared to September, is a lot. My favourite read of this month was ‘Everless’ (I don’t include ‘Harry Potter’ in that, because ‘Harry Potter’ is ‘Harry Potter’). Here is my October wrap-up!

‘Catwoman’ Sarah J. Maas
★★★★★

I was so excited to finally get my hands on one of the books from the DC Icons series. The authors that feature in this series are incredible – Marie Lu, Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo are among my favourite authors in the world. I stumbled upon ‘Catwoman’ in a small bookstore in Malta and I knew I had to have it instantly. I have read in one day, before and after classes, and I have loved it so much. The plot is incredible and all the decisions come to a perfect conclusion in the end. The characters are well-done and intriguing, especially the female ones – Selina, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. I adore this book and I will definitely order the rest of DC Icons books.

‘Daughter of the Siren Queen’ Tricia Levenseller
★★★★

I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed by this one. I love the first part of the duology, ‘The Daughter of the Pirate King’, and was anticipating the second part for weeks until it finally arrived. The plot felt forced and not very well-planned. The characters I have loved so much in the first book – Alosa and Riden – were so flat in the second one. They always seem to create problems where there were none. If ‘Daughter of the Siren Queen’ was a standalone, it would be a much better book. But as a continuation of ‘The Daughter of the Pirate King’ I have felt like it was missing something important.

‘Grace and Fury’ Tracy Banghart
★★

Ugh, I was so disappointed by this book. I’ve seen people fuss over it on bookstagram and I had great expectations of ‘Grace and Fury’. The plot was too simple, besides the plot twist at the beginning. The characters were too plain and I couldn’t help to think that the idea of two princes was taken from Victoria Aveyard’s ‘Red Queen’. The book was supposed to be very feministic, but I had an impression that Nomi and Serina, the main characters, were only depending on men.

‘A Whole New World’ Liz Braswell
★★★★

At first, I was excited for this retelling. After the first few chapters, I was disappointed – everything seemed to be written down from the Disney’s movie. And then, everything changed – the characters were different from the fairy-tale and I liked the storyline with the rebellion of Agrabah. Also, I think that writing the book from Aladdin’s point of view was a great decision. Now, I’m on to read the retelling of Mulan by Liz Braswell and I hope it will be as good as ‘A Whole New World’ was.

‘The Last Wish’ (‘The Witcher’) Andrzej Sapkowski
★★★★★

I love this book – I have read it four before so technically it is a reread of a reread of a reread. Or something like that. It is probably one of the few books written by Polish authors that I like. It is also my sister’s favourite book. The main hero is perfectly written and, even though I don’t usually like this form, this time the form of short stories was fitting. I strongly recommend reading this book, even if you are not Polish – I can guarantee that you will love it.

‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

There is no better month than October for a ‘Harry Potter’ reread. Well, every month is good for that, but there is something about October and fall that just screams ‘Harry Potter’. I am a big Potterhead and it felt amazing to read the first book again – I have to admit I cried every time James and Lily were mentioned. And when Sirius was mentioned. I’m so emotional when it comes to ‘Harry Potter’. Well, now I need to watch the movie, don’t I?

‘Descendants of War and Magic’ Ruby Fitzgerald
★★★★

I’m torn whether this book should get three or four stars – I think I would settle on 3,5 ★. It was a good book and I liked it, yet it was nothing outstanding. It did not make me wanna cry, laugh or scream (maybe a bit scream when some people were mean to Xenos). The magic realm was well-written and organized, which I liked a lot. The characters were fine, but there were too many of them, and the book was too short for me to get attached to them. It is not a book to obsess about, but it is a good one to read in a tram.

‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

It is my least favourite of all ‘Harry Potter’ books. But it still gets five stars, because it is Harry Potter. I do not know what to write here, because if I start discussing the book it would turn from being a ‘wrap-up’ to my monologue about ‘Harry Potter’. I have to admit though that my heart skipped a beat when Ginny was taken into the chamber, even though I knew the ending. ‘Harry Potter’ does make me emotional. Also, that Slytherin hate is breaking my heart.

‘Everless’ Sara Holland
★★★★★

I love this book so much and I cannot wait for continuation! It had me turning pages since the first chapter, and I have read it in two sittings! I was on my toes the whole time – I could never predict what is going to happen next. Jules is an amazing main character and I loved her nerve and wit. ‘Everless’ had me crying, smiling, putting down the book to stare into space blankly – basically it had everything one needs from the book.

‘True Fire’ Gary Meehan
★★★★

At the beginning I was sceptical about ‘True Fire’, but I appreciate a book that can surprise me, especially if it surprises me multiple times. And this one definitely did. Megan is not a heroine I had expected, since she is sixteen and pregnant. The plot twist that occurs at the end (I’m not going to say anything more, not to spoil the book) made me put this book down for a moment and stare at the wall. It missed a kind of swiftness which made it not easy to read, but other than that I recommend it strongly.

synopsis

A long time ago Ancients had given chosen humans the ability to do magic, known as Nine Energies of Magic. After the battle of Venom, the kingdom of Thurnadan returned to the peaceful times. Or so it was thought. Suddenly, people had started dying because of an illness called the Jinx. The Jinx started killing the population of Thurnadan on a massive scale. The group of people is chosen to lead the mission in order to find the cure to the horrible disease. But does the cure even exist? And if it does, will they manage to find it in time to stop the Jinx from killing everyone?

review

First of all, I want to thank Ruby Fitzgerald and Solider Bear Entertainment for the free e-book copy.

I am a bit surprised that I have not heard about Ruby Fitzgerald before I got this book – her world seems to me like the kind of magical realm that should be wildly popular. When I have started reading this book and I have read the prologue, my first thought was literally ‘That’s going to be confusing as hell’. The prologue confused me and, quite frankly, it discouraged me from reading this book. But the story got better as I read on, and the last hundred pages I could not wait to read. My problem with the plot is that fact that I have not read the first book so I had some plot gaps. The topic of this book reminded me of ‘The Plauge’ by Albert Camus – it also involved a deadly disease that indicated the end of the world and the behaviour of the people that were faced with death. The style of writing seemed kind of off to me, but I guess that is the mater of one’s taste.

What I really liked, was the magic element of the book – Shifters, Grounders, Whisperers – it was a well-written and thought-out magical realm. The book felt like a continuation, but I have liked that about it. I have liked the mystery and slowly getting to know what happened to each of the characters. I have to admit that the book was pretty feministic to me. There is a queendom (a kingdom ruled by a queen), and the main protagonists are mainly women.

There were too many characters for my taste. I think the idea was to do it like George Martin in ‘Game of Thrones’, but the amount of characters was not good for only 242 pages. If the book was longer, I would have time to bond with characters, learn their history, traits. In this book. I have found out bits of their personalities, but not enough to feel emotional towards them. Obviously, my favourite character was one of questionable morals – Xenos. The queen, Eleanor, was a terrible women in my opinion, and a moody one. She acted royally, yet she did not care for her subject the way the queen should. Ryder was too absorbed with Aurora and his hatred for Xenos to be likeable to me. Characters had potential for being great, however the book was just too short for that.

In conclusion, the main problem I had with this book that it was too short for this number of characters and storylines. I’m still torn whether this book should get three or four stars, so if I could, I would give it 3,5 stars.

It was a terrible reading month for me, really. I wasn’t home for the most time and I didn’t take any books with me. Then, I was on my holidays where I was too busy sightseeing, resting and bonding with my family. But I still wanted to share the books I have read this month with the world. I managed to find two interesting books when I was staying over at my aunt’s. Also, I bought ten books on my holidays and so far I have read two of them. So here is my September wrap-up and hopefully October will a better reading month for me.

‘The Girl on the Train’ Paula Hawkins
★★★

I am not a big fan of thrillers or criminals, but I was really bored and needed something to read. That was the only interesting book on my aunt’s bookshelf. The beginning was too dull for me and I felt I had been waiting forever for something to finally happen. The whole plot had unsolved in the last forty pages which was irritating and felt a bit forced – like the book was supposed to be longer. The only thing I liked was the turnout – the denouement of the plot was thought out and the clues left throughout the whole book all match up. I liked this book, but it was nothing special. Shame since I heard so much buzz around this book and I expected great things from it.

‘Fablehaven’ Brandon Mull
★★★★

I know, I know – ‘Fablehaven’ is a children book, but theoretically also Rick Riordan’s books are and they are freakin’ awesome. And so was ‘Fablehaven’. It was a perfect read for a rainy day with a perfectly thought-out and planned secret world. Kendra and Seth are exact oppositions of each other and with a traditional sibling bond. Seth was a bit irritating for my taste – his every mistake had terrible consequences for him and his sister, and for Fablehaven.

‘Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook’ Christina Henry
★★★★★

It was my favourite read out of all four books I have read this month. It was incredible and it stayed in my thoughts for days after I have finished it. ‘Peter Pan’ is my favourite fairy tale and even though it’s a untraditional look at the story. It shows Peter Pan as a childish and narcissistic villain and James Hook as one of Peter’s victims. The only drawback of this book is how bloody it is – it was a little bit like a ‘Game of Thrones’ meets ‘Peter Pan’ without the sex parts. I quite liked how brutal it was – that made it more real – but considering that the cover suggests it’s a children’s book it might be an unpleasant surprise for a reader.

‘The Belles’ Dhonielle Clayton 
★★★★★

What an interesting idea for a book and, at the same time, what an important topic. I completely fell in love with the main character, Camellia. She wasn’t perfect, she had her own ambitions and she was driven. With all of her traits she was more appealing to me. Camellia was beautiful, but she was also imperfect, confused and had a lot of different dilemmas that she didn’t always handle right.

It was so difficult to choose whether I liked ‘Lost Boy’ or ‘The Belles’ more. In the end, I chose ‘Lost Boy’, because it stayed with me days after I have finished it. Seriously, I was walking around the beach and I just thinking about this book. I’m definitely going to read more books by Christina Henry – I saw that she has a book about ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Hopefully October would be a better reading month for me and I hope I will find the book I love as much as I have loved ‘Lost Boy.’

August was not a good month for my reading since I’ve started working and it was all new to me. Honestly, I mostly came home, ate and went right to sleep. But I managed to read a few books I’ve liked. I’ve wanted to read ‘Grishaverse’ for a while now and, while I ordered it in July, it only arrived at the beginning of August. The covers are incredible – they are so shiny and the map that came with them was just so cute. ‘Throne of Glass” has been on my “to be read” list since I first read ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ and I finally gave it a try.

‘Shadow and Bone’ Leigh Bardugo
★★★★★

Honestly I wasn’t expecting it to be so good. I’ve read “Six of Crows” before and I’ve loved it – I never thought that Grishaverse can even compete with it. Well, it can compete with “Six of Crows”, but it can’t win. Nevertheless, “Shadow and Bone” was amazing – it had amazing characters, a perfect villain and a good plot.

‘Siege and Storm’ Leigh Bardugo
★★★★★

I might had given it four stars had it not been for Nikolai’s character which is incredible. I will never know how Leigh Bardugo manages to write such amazing and complicated characters that make me fall in love with them. Also, I liked that Alina got to return to the Little Palace.

‘Ruin and Rising’ Leigh Bardugo
★★★★☆

It wasn’t as good as the first two parts, but it was still fun to read (expect the part when I cried and the other part when I cried). I think the story with the third amplifier was a bit too confusing, but I have to admit that I loved the ending – it was just perfect.

‘Throne of Glass’ Sarah J. Maas
★★★★☆

The thing about reading a book by one of your favourite authors is that you have high expectations. And, after reading “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series I definitely had high expectations when I bought “Throne of Glass”. I really liked it – Celaena’s character was just perfect (an assassin who loves both clothes and reading? Can you have a better combo?), but something just didn’t click for me.

‘Hannibal: Enemy of Rome’ Ben Kane
★★★☆☆

I love Ben Kane’s books, mostly because he writes historical fiction about ancient Rome. His books always have a great plot and are historically adequate. ‘Hannibal: Enemy of Rome’ was good, but something just didn’t click for me. I didn’t love it as much as I loved ‘The Forgotten Legion’. Overall, Hanno’s history didn’t convince me and I’ve found Quintus annoying.

‘The Daughter of the Pirate King’ Tricia Levenseller
★★★★★

I honestly wasn’t expected it to be so good. I was pleasantly surprised by it and it took me about ten pages to absolutely fall in love with Alosa who is another badass female character. Before I started reading this book I’ve thought that the plot sounds a bit cheesy, but it ended up being well-written and perfectly thought-out. Basically, I love it and I immediately ordered the sequel, ‘The Daughter of the Siren Queen’.