Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases For The Second Half Of The Year

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Hello!

This week the theme is ten most anticipated releases for the second half of the year. There are so many great books coming out, and I can't wait to get my hands on all of them. 

The first on this list had to be Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas. This is the fifth book in the Throne of Glass series, one of my favourite series of all time. The release date is September 6th, and I can't wait. I just finished rereading the series, and I need more as soon as possible.

The second book in this list had to be The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan. This is the second book in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series, and I absolutely loved the first book, The Sword of Summer. This book will come out October 4th, and I'm so excited!

The rest of the books I will just list the title, author and release date.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany - July 31st

On the Other Side  - Carrie Hope Fletcher - July 14th

Harry potter and the Chamber of Secret, illustrated edition - J. K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay - October 4th

This Is Our Story - Ashley Elston - November 15th

The Light Fantastic - Sarah Combs - August 2nd

Wrecked - Maria Padian - October 4th

Saving Hamlet - Molly Booth - November 1st

Inborn - Amy Saunders - July 21st

I probably forgot some books that I actually am excited about, so therefore I ask you, what's your most anticipated book for the second half of 2016?

Review: After You

This is the second book in a series, and will therefor contain spoilers for the first book. 

Title: After You (Me Before You #2)
Author: Jojo Moyes
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Year published: 2015
How I got this book: I borrowed it from my mum
My rating: 3,5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
 "You're going to feel uncomfortable in your new world for a bit. But I hope you feel a bit exhilarated too. Live boldly. Push yourself. Don't settle. Just live well. Just live. Love, Will."

How do you move on after losing the person you loved? How do you build a life worth living?

Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can't help but feel she's right back where she started.

Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kickstarted back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding - the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will's past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future...

For Lous Clark, life after Will Traynor means learning to fall in love again, with all the risks that brings. But here Jojo Moyes gives ut two families, as real as our own, whose joys and sorrows will touch you deeply, and where both changes and surprises awaits.

My thoughts:
I had a hard time deciding what I really felt about this book. I really wanted to like it, because I liked Me Before You so much, but I just couldn't. This is not a small book, and plenty of stuff happens throughout the book, but to me, it felt rushed. It felt like everything just happened, that Moyes just wanted to make it hard for Lou in this book.

Talking about Lou, I did not like her in this book. I absolutely adored her in Me Before You, but she annoyed me a lot of times in this book. I just could not relate to her at all, and that disappointed me in this book. She was so relatable in the previous book, but she changed too much. 

That said, she did redeem herself a bit in the end. I won't spoil you with what happened, but she I could finally see a tiny piece of myself in her again, and I had really missed that throughout this book

We meet a few new characters in this book, especially Sam and Lily. I did like Sam quite a bit, but I'm still not completely sure what I feel about his and Lou's relationship. I absolutely hated Lily for a while, I could not stand her at all. I felt like this was on purpose, that maybe Moyes didn't want us to like her, and if that's the case, she did it perfectly. I also hated how weak Lou was when it came to Lily, and she just could not stand up for herself at all.

Even though this is not as good as the first one, I did enjoy reading it. I didn't go into this book with high expectations at all, because my mum told me that she was quite disappointed in it. I think that saved the book a bit for me. Had I gone into it with hopes of liking it as much as Me Before You, I would have disliked this book so much more. 

You don't need to read this book to get closure with Lou, at least, I didn't. But if you still want to read more about her, I would recommend picking up this book. Just don't expect it to be like Me Before You. It's still good, I gave it 3,5 stars. It's not a book I would re-read, but I would suggest picking it up if you like Moyes' writing and if you connected to the characters in the previous book.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons I Love Reading

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Hello!

I am a big fan of reading, and there's not many things I'd rather do than dive into a wonderful book. This weeks topic for Top Ten Tuesday is "Reasons I Love X", and it was obvious that I had to do it on why I love reading so much. This will not be in any particular order, as all of these reasons add up to why I enjoy it.

Going on adventures

Even though I, technically, don't even leave my house, I go on so many adventures through book. I snuggle up in bed or on the couch whilst traveling through worlds, discovering amazing things and fighting dangers. I get to experience so much through books, and it's priceless.

Personal growth

This is something a lot of people don't think about, especially if they don't like reading. The thing is, through reading I have experienced to much and gotten to know so many different people. I've been inside of hundreds of heads, learning different ways to think and different kinds of mindsets. Even when you close the book, you take that with you.

Keeping an open mind

Because of all the different people I've met through reading, I've learned to not judge people before getting to know them. People go to so much stuff, that no one else knows about, and therefore you shouldn't judge before knowing someone. Through my experiences in books, I've learned to keep my mind open to new things, and it's amazing.

Virtual traveling

Through reading, I have been so many places that I'll probably never be able to see in real life. I've travelled all over the world, and to worlds that don't even exist. By keeping you imagination open, you travel through worlds and countries, experiencing it all through the pages.

Improving my vocabulary

English is not my native language, though I most of the books I read are English. By reading all of these books, my vocabulary has extended so much. It helps my writing, and everyday life. By reading so much English and learning new words, I have an advantage for the rest of my life, with everything that includes English. 

It's a wonderful hobby

Some people like to hang out at the mall, watch movies or just hang out. I really like reading. With books you're never alone, and there are always something to do, something to read. No matter what kind of mood you're in, there's always something for it. If you want to read something sad, pick up a sad book. If you want to read something funny, pick up a funny book.

It brings me joy

Getting to know all the different characters, and connecting to them, gives my a lot of joy in life. Being able to think about characters outside of reading the actual book is something I enjoy so much, and books connects you to other people as well. When a book is so wonderful that you don't want to put it down, that's me favourite thing. When it's so good that you can't stop thinking about it, even after you've finished it, that's the main reason reading is so great.

There are plenty of other small, random reasons I love reading as well, but I can't list them all. This post would go on forever! Instead, I want to ask you a question. Why do you love reading?

Wrap Up: May

It's been quite a while since I've done a monthly wrap up, but I've somehow managed to read a lot of books. Way more than I thought I did. I haven't been reading this much earlier this year, and therefore I didn't see a reason to write wrap ups, but now I'm back in the game. As you might notice, most of the books this month were re-reads, but I still had a wonderful reading month. I enjoyed it so much.

The first book I read was Me, Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. I started it at the end of April, and finished it early in May. I did enjoy the book, though I wasn't the biggest fan of the format. I could have enjoyed it more if I've read it at a different time, but that happens.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling was the second book I read in May. I'm pretty sure I finished this in a day, but I spent a lot of time home because I was sick, so I did have a lot of time to read. I think this was the 5th time reading this book, and I still absolutely love it. I am slowly working my way through the book again, but I've limited myself to one book a month, so I'll actually read something else as well.

I finally read The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan this month. I got it for christmas, and have been wanting to read it since then. I just never picked it up, even though I knew I would love it. I finished it in a day, I just couldn't pick it down. I love mythology, and Greek and Norse are my favourites. Because I'm from Norway I know quite a lot about the mythology in this book, and it made it all the more enjoyable. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

I had to re-read A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas before the next book came out. I finished this in two days, and loved it even more than the first time I read it. I have yet to come across a book by Maas that I didn't become completely obsessed with.

Obviously, my next read was A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. It came out on the third, but I had to wait for it to actually arrive, since I ordered it online. I still haven't seen it in a bookstore in my town, which makes me really sad. I could not put this book down. I finished it in less than twelve hours, and I'm so sad that there's only one book left in the trilogy.

The next book I read was A World Between by Robert Herzog. That was the biggest disappointment this month. I didn't really enjoy it at all, because the point of the book didn't interest me. There was a lot of quantum physics and things, and that's just not my cup of tea, though I have no doubt that several others will love it.

After that, I still couldn't get ACOMAF out of my head, and I knew I had to read something else by Maas. I ended up picking up The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas, deciding it was time to re-read her other series. It was, somehow, even better now than the first time around, and I finished this in a couple of days as well.

The day after I finished The Assassin's Blade I picked up Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I would have picked it up immediately, but I finished it at 1 in the morning, and I had school the next day. I finished it in a day and a half, not really being able to think about something other than the book.

As soon as I finished Throne of Glass I picked up Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas. Thankfully, it was Friday, and I could stay up late reading. I finished the book on Saturday afternoon, and, shockingly, picked up Heir of Fire as soon as I finished. I am enjoying re-reading this series so much, and I'm so glad I'm doing it. I can't wait for Empire of Storms to come out in September.

I did manage to finish Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas on Sunday, and I am super happy about that. I did not expect to read through the books so fast, but somehow I am able to, even though I'm in the middl of my exam period. I finished Heir of Fire on Sunday night, and because of my exam on Monday morning I wasn't able to pick up Queen of Shadows immediately, but I did pick it up when I got home from my exam. 

Because of all the re-reads I haven't been writing that many reviews, because I don't really like reviewing books when it's not the first time reading them. And for some of them, I've posted reviews earlier. However, the books that I've written reviews about, are linked in the book titles.


How was your reading month?

Top Ten Tuesday: Great Beach Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen

Me Before You - Jojo Moyes

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

Someone Like You - Sarah Dessen

The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick 

The Best of Me - Nicholas Sparks

Looking for Alaska - John Green

The Last Song - Nicholas Sparks

Staying at Daisy's - Jill Mansell

I'll See You in Paris - Michelle Gable

What books are bringing with you to the beach this summer?

Review: The Sword of Summer

Title: The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1)
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Year published: 2015
How I got this book: Got it as a christmas present
My rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he's tracked down by an uncle he's never met - a man his mother claimed was dangerous. His uncle tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die...

My thoughts:
I have a feeling I might actually like this series more than the Percy Jackson series, which is saying something. I flew threw this book in one sitting, because I just didn't want to put it down. It definitely has the same feel as the Percy Jackson series, and it's written with the same humour. Which is good for me, because I find it funny.

The main difference from the Percy Jackson series is, of course, the gods. In The Sword of Summer they are all Norse gods, from Norse mythology. This is one of the reasons I might like this more. I absolutely love Greek mythology, but I grew up with Norse mythology. I starter learning about it early in school, maybe around 8 years old, and therefore feel a more personal connection with the Norse mythology.

The plot is fast paced, and there's always something happening. It's never boring, which is saying something when the book has 500 pages. As with the Percy Jackson series, this is a book for middle graders. But still, this book will probably be really entertaining even if you're older. You just have to keep in mind that some of the humour is meant for younger children.

This is a book I will recommend to everyone, and I am so excited for the next one to come out. I can't believe I have to wait until October. Because of that, I am actually glad I waited this long before I read it, even though I've had it in my room since christmas, because I don't have to wait as long. This is definitely a book everyone should read, or at least give it a chance.

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Review: A World Between

Title: A World Between
Author: Robert Herzog
Publisher: The Story Plant
Year published: 2016
How I got this book: I got it as an arc through NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review
My rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
 Parts of the world have gone missing. For a while, only a few noticed. Then an increasing number of spaces disrupt the fabric of reality, threatening the foundation of our world, setting off a race by some of the greatest minds on the planet to determine what force, godlike or human, is behind the change before the problem leads to global cataclysm. A breathtaking novel that thrills on both an epic and human scale, A World Between is an adventure unlike any you've ever read.

My thoughts:
 Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with this book. I was so excited for it, but I couldn't get into it. 

If you're looking for a fast-paced book, this is definitely not the book for you. There's not a lot of plot in it, but more information and research. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book a lot, it just wasn't for me. It might just been that I've read it at the wrong time, because I'm in the mood for fast.paced and exciting books at the moment, but it's not a bad book. Not at all.

I will recommend this to everyone who is interested in physics, the universe and things like that. This book will probably be right up your alley. I might give this book a second chance another time, but for now I will leave my 3-star rating and my feeling on it, but keep in mind that even though I didn't enjoy it, that doesn't mean that you won't enjoy it.

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Review: A Court of Mist and Fury

As this is the sequel to a book, this post will contain spoilers about A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens
Year published: 2016
How I got this book: I bought it through BookDepository
My rating: 5 stars, though I would like to give it like 10 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the SPring Court - but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms - and she might be the key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractued soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future - and the future of a world cleaved in two.

My thoughts:
 The only thing I can say without really spoiling anything is; read it. Read it as soon as possible. It is absolutely wonderful, and I didn't want to put it down. I finished the enitre thing, 624 pages, in less than 12 hours. All I could, and still can, think about was this book. Read it.

Now to the section with spoilers. Only read this if you've finished the entire book, because there will be plenty of spoilers.

I want to start with my feelins for Tamlin. I reread ACOTAR the day before I read this, and for the most part, I absolutely love Tamlin. But I have always had a thing for Rhysand, after reading the book for the first time. And I'm so glad we got a lot more Rhysand and Feyre time this book, and that she got over Tamlin. I will forever be grateful that Maas didn't turn this into a love triangle, as so many authors would have done. Instead, Feyre fell out of love with Tamlin, and then in love with Rhysand. She grew, and therefore wasn't a great fit for Tamlin anymora.

And can we just talk about the fact that Feyre and Rhysand are mates??? I got super happy when I found out, and even happier when Feyre accepted it. And I didn't absolutely hate the following scenes either.

Feyre evolved so much throughout this book, and she learned to believe in herself, and in her powers. I can't imagine how powerful she will be when she has 100% control over all her powers. I would want to be on her side, I'm sure about that.

We got to meet a lot of new characters in this book, especially Rhysand's inner circle. I found all of them likeable, and I'm really glad that we got to spend so much time with them, and get to now them properly. I really hope we get to spend more time with them in the next book, which I'm super excited for.

Can we just talk about the ending for a moment? My heart was literally broken for a couple of pages, and all I wanted to do was cry. When the King of Hybern broke their bond, and I was so sad. But when we got that one chapter from Rhysand's POV and he explained to the others, I was so happy. 

End of spoilers
I can't wait for the next book. I want it in my hands right now! Luckily we get a new Sarah J. Maas book this year, Empire of Storms, though it is in another series. Hopefully, this year will go fast, so I don't have to wait long before I have the next book in my hands.

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Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Author: Jesse Andrews
Publisher: Amulet Books
Year published: 2012
How I got this book: Borrowed it from my mum
My rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
 Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg's mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia - cue extreme adolescent awkwardness - but a parental mandate has been issued and myst be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

My thoughts:
To be honest, I was a bit disappointed in this book. I had heard so much about it and how so many people loved it, and I don't really get it. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book at all, I know my mum really liked it as well, it just wasn't really for me. I could have just read it at the wrong time as well, and I might have enjoyed it a lot more reading it a couple of months from now.

It was an easy and quick read, which I really liked. The format was different from anything I've ever read, and not in a negative way. It was written in a way that felt very personal, but even so, I wasn't able to really connect with any of the characters. To me, it felt like the narrator was trying to hard, and I didn't really get it.

Though it wasn't the best book for me, I know many do enjoy it, and that's great. We can't all enjoy the same things, and I don't regret reading this book at all. I would recommend giving it a try, it doesn't take long to get through.

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Review: Me Before You

Title: Me Before You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Publisher: Penguin
Year published: 2015
How I got this book: Got it for my birthday from my parents
My rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
 Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She know she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

My thoughts:
I had to wait a while to write my review, so I could have a chance to gather my thoughts. I flew through this book so much faster than I thought I would. I did have high expectations for it, because my mum absolutely loves it, and it did not disappoint me at all. I'm so excited to see the movie! Unfortunately, I did know how the book was going to end (don't worry, I won't spoil you), but that didn't ruin the book for me as much as I thought it would. I was still able to enjoy it thoroughly. 

I absolutely adored the characters in this book, especially Lou. There were a few times I found her a bit annoying, but generally I really liked her, enjoyed reading about her, and felt connected to her. I also liked Will throughout the book, even though he seems kind of mean in the beginning. I would probably be quite mean if that happened to me as well, so I am in no place to judge. 

Honestly, I don't really know what to say about this book. I feel like I say that about a lot of books, but I usually enjoy the books I read, and when I enjoy them I don't know how to express that without just repeating the same things over and over. At the same time, I don't want to spoil anything at all. I only knew the ending of the book, nothing else, and therefore I was still able to be excited about everything.

If you are planning on seeing the movie, but haven't read the book yet, and want to, I would definitely recommend reading the book before even watching the trailer. I saw the trailer first, and though it didn't ruin the book for me because I already knew the ending, I would not recommend it to anyone else, unless they like being spoiled.

Everyone should pick up this book as soon as they have the chance, because I feel like you're not going to regret it. I am planning on reading the next book, After You, as well, but I wanted to wait a bit so I can get over this book first.

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