December TBR

I can't believe it's almost December already! I'm so excited for christmas, and started watching christmas movies a long time ago. Christmas is definitely my favourite holiday, and I have this happy feeling in my body throughout December.

However, unfortunately, I don't own alot of christmasy books. I only have A Christmas Carol.That means that my TBR read isn't as christmasy as I'd like, but I'll watch enough movies to make up for it.

I only have three books on my list, two of which I'm currently reading. The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter is a book I'm reading for a school project, and I really need to finish it soon.

Fire is the sequel/companion to Graceling, and I'm absolutely loving it so far. I really want to finish it as soon as possible, I want to read the next one!

Lastly, I have A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writing by Charles Dickens. I wanted to read this last year, or the year before that, but I never got around to it. I remember starting it, but I just wasn't feeling it. This year however, I'm super excited for it. I've been wanting to read it since the summer, but I had to save it until December.

What are you reading this December? Are you excited about christmas as well?

Review: Coal River

Title: Coal River
Author: Ellen Marie Wiseman
Publisher: Kensington
Published: November 24th 2015
How I got this book: I was lucky enough to get this book through netgalley, in exchange for an honest review
My rating: 5 stars 

Synopsis:
As a child, Emma Malloy left isolated Coal River, Pennsylvania, vowing never to return. Now, orphaned and penniless at nineteen, she accepts a train ticket from her aunt and uncle and travels back to the rough-hewn community. Treated like a servant by her relatives, Emma works for free in the company store. There, miners and theur impoversihed families must pay inflated prices for food, clothing, and tolls, while those who owe money are turned away to starve.

Most heartrending of all are the breaker boys Emma sees around the village--young children who toil all day sorting coal amid treacherous machinery. Their soot-stained faces remind Emma of the little brother she lost long ago, and she begins leaving stolen food on families' doorsteps, and marking the miners' bills as paid.

Though Emma's actions draw ire from the min owner and police captain, they lead to an alliance with a charismatic miner who offers to help her expose the truth. And as the lines blur between what is legal and what is just, Emma must risk everything to follow her conscience. 

My thoughts:
I think this was my first historical fiction book, and I'm so glad I read this. It's adult historical fiction, something I never read. At first, I was a bit sceptical, but I absolutely loved this book.

The main character, Emma, is nineteen years-old, and I guess I connected a bit with her because of her age. She's only one year older than me, and I could only imagine what I would do in her position. 

There's so much injustice in this book. The breaker boys broke my heart, and I just wanted everything to be fixed. Though this is a fictional story, I learned so much about the mining communities in the States. I read that Wiseman did a lot of research whilst writing this book, and you could really see that in the story. The details with the mines, from the village, to the corruption, to the inside of the breaker. 

I don't have much to say about this book, except that I really loved it. I had some trouble adjusting to the genre, but that's just because it was completely new to me. Emma is so lovable, hardworking and just good. I know I will be buying this for my friends and family as christmas gifts this year. I just want everyone to read it!

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Review: Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year published: 2009
How I got this book: It's been so long that I don't remember
My rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Millark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares here even more is that she's not entirely conviced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the distrcits on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

My thoughts:
This is my least favourite in the series, but even so, I still absolutely adore it. Again, the games doesn't actually start until over halfway into the book, but I like that. The main focus of the story isn't just about the games, but about Katniss and her journey.

We follow Katniss and Peeta on the Victory Tour, which is held in the winter, halfway between two games. This is to always remind the citizens of Panem of the games. We see how Katniss suffers from the aftermath of the games, and that Peeta is also struggling. Their relationship develops during the book, and they really care about each other.

On the other hand, Katniss's relationship with Gale has suffered because of her on-stage relationship with Peeta. I'm really annoyed with Gale in this book, because I feel like he gets mad about things he doesn't have the right to get mad about. He and Katniss weren't in a relationship, or even close, before the games. 

In this book we meet Finnick Odair, a prevous victor of the game from District 4. I love Finnick. I am seriously in love with him. He's funny, smart and passionate. It's impossible not to like him, even though he seems a little smug in the beginning.

This book did definitely not end with everything from the book wrapping up. It's the opposite. It's the worst cliffhanger, and you just have to continue on to the next book, Mockingjay. Obviously, I won't spoil the ending for you, but when I read this book for the first time I was completely shocked and I was so mad that I had to wait for Mockingjay to come out.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books That I'm Thankful For

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I'm going to start this list of with Karen's Christmas (Karens jul) by Amalie Skram. This isn't a book, but a short story. Amalie Skam was a Norwegian author, and her short story about Karen is one of my absolute favourites. It very short, and not a happy story at all. I've read this several times at school, and I never get tired of it.

Second, I have the entire Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I've been a fan of these books since the first one came out, and I'm so thankful for them. They really made me love reading again, and I've never looked back. They were my introduction to dystopia and YA novels, and I'm so grateful that they were the books that introduced me to it.

I know a lot of people don't like Twilight, but this list wouldn't be complete without that series. Again, this one made me love reading. I read it around the time I read the Hunger Games, and this will forever have a place in my heart. This became popular before the Hunger Games, and is the first series where I remember fangirling with my friends and being so excited to see the movies.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman definitely deserves a place on this list. This book has such a big inpact on me, mostly because I could relate so much to Mia, the main character. She plays the cello, and is so passionate about that. I play the violin, and it was so amazing to finally have a character that played a classical instrument, that I could really relate to.

Undone by Cat Clarke. Wow. I read this book a couple of years ago, and I still think about it regularly. The book is quite dark and twisted, the main character is a girl who wants revenge for her best friends suicide. Some books just stays with you, and shape you as a person, and this is one of them.

Along with Undone, I have to mention Butter by Erin Lange. Again, it's been a couple of years ago since I read this, but I can't forget it. I remember picking it up because of the bright cover, thinking this would be a fun, light read. Boy, was I wrong. But stil definitely worth it, and I keep recommending it to all of my friends as well.

I feel like I should mention the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan as well. While the stories or character hasn't made such an impact on me, but I do still love them, these books really made me realise how much I love mythology. They really sparked my interest, and mythology is now something I love to read about.

The Life As We Knew It series by Susan Beth Pfeffer. These books are serously amazing. I haven't read the fourth and last one yet, but I'm really looking forward to it. It's so rare that I get so captivated by a book, or books, in this case. I remember reading this and being so into the story, that I actually forgot that I could just eat whatever I wanted or just get a glass of water. It made me want to stock up on food, just in case the moon got hit by a meteor and ended up closer to earth, messing up everything.

Animal Farm by George Orwell. This is one of my absolute favourite stories ever, and I keep bugging my friends to read it. I just think it's so brilliant and clever. It really makes you think, and Orwell is such an excellent writer tand excecuted the concept so wonderfully.

I hope you realised that the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling would make an appearance on this list. Harry Potter is basically my childhood, and I can always return to his world when I want to, through both books and movies. I will always be grateful for the Harry Potter books, because I can't imagine who I would be if they didn't exist.


Which books are you thankful for?

Review: The Hunger Games

Title: The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year published: 2008
How I got this book: In a random bookshop in 2008
My rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
Winning will make you famous.
Losing means certain death.

The nation of Panem, formed drom a port-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The 'tributes' are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory. 

When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. She sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nautre. 

My thoughts: 
Originally, I wasn't planning on writing a review for this book, or Catching Fire and Mockingjay. I've read them several times before, and I honestly don't have anything bad to say about them. So these review will basically just be me, talking about how much I love them.

I first read this book back in 2008, and I can't believe how big it has gotten. I remember trying to get all my friends to read it, and I wanted it to become a movie so bad. This trilogy is so close to my heart, I can't even describe it.

The setting of The Hunger Games is so original, and the world is so detailed and thought through. I'm a aware that many thinks this is just a rip-off of Battle Royale, but I completely disagree. And a big part of the book happens before the games. Katniss is an amazing character, not always likeable, but amazing all the while. 

Rue must be my absolute favourite character in this book. She's so adorable, and you can't help but loving her. It's so easy to ignore the fact that they are children fighting to the death, but she makes us remember that. She's just 12, and I love the relationship she develops with Katniss.

Though this only is the first book in a trilogy, the ending is great. It wraps up everything nicely, but still leaves us wanting more and excited for the next book.

I recommend this book to everyone I know, no matter what age. I think everyone should at least try to read it, and if they don't like it they can put it down.

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Review: Magonia

Title: Magonia (Magonia #1)
Author: Maria Dahvana Headley
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year published: 2015
How I got this book: Bookdepository (Affiliate link)
My rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
Aza Ray is drowning in thin air.

Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak - to live.

So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn't think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.

Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who's always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world - and found, by another. Magonia.

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

My thoughts:
First of all, how beautiful is this cover? This is the main reason I bought it, to be honest. I did not expect to like it as much as I did, but I'm so glad that I read it.

I was really unsure about the premise before starting this, and even as I read it I was a bit unsure. I got into this book really fast, and I forgot that Aza comes to another world, so I was really shocked when she did. 

It took me some time to understand Magonia, especially they people in it, if you can call them that. I didn't understand how everything worked for a long time, but when I finally did understand it, it all made sense. 

My favourite thing about this book though, is the fact that they are going to Spitsbergen in Svalbard in Norway. I won't spoil why they're going there, but I thought it was really cool. You don't really hear much about Norway in English books, so the fact that they actually went there in this book really gave it a big star in my book. Obviously, this would have gotten a 5 star rating either way, but it's something that makes the book more enjoyable for me.

The characters in this book are great, and I really liked most of them. I thought Aza was a wellwritten character, and I felt like I could connect with her, even though our experiences in life so far are a bit different. She seems like the type of person I would get along with, and I always like reading about them. 

I was scared I wouldn't like Jason, but I actually did. Throughout the book we get a couple of chapters from his perspective, and while I did enjoy Aza's chapters more, I still really liked them. I didn't have to skim through them to get to Aza's chapters again, because I actually wanted to read them.

I don't know what else to say about this, except that you should read it. I do understand why some didn't like it, and I totally get what they're saying about this, but the book worked for me. I don't excpect everyone to like it, but if you think it sounds interesting or enjoyable, you should definitely give it a try. If you find out that it's not really your cup of tea, you can always just put it down and read something else.

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Review: Horowitz Horror: The Ultimate Collection

Title: The Complete Horowitz Horror
Author: Anthony Horowitz
Publisher: Orchard books
Year published: 2008
How I got this book: Don't remember, but I think I bought it at a random bookstore
My rating: 3,5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
New York Times Bestseller Anthony Horowitz's horror collections, now in one volume!

Welcome to a world where everything seems normal. At least, at first. But the sinister and truly terrifying lurk just beneath the surface. Like a bathtub with a history so haunted, no one dares get in it? Or an ordinary-looking camera that does unspeakable things to its subjects? Or an elevator filled with cannibals just waiting for their next victim to walk in? 

This wicked collection of eighteen macabre tales combining both Horowitz Horror and More Horowitz Horror will send shivers up your spine.

My thoughts:
Bath Night - 4,5
Killer Camera - 3 
Light Moves - 4
The Night Bus - 3
Harriet's Horrible Dream - 4
Scared - 3
A Career in Computer Games - 3
The Man with the Yellow Face - 4
The Monkey's Ear - 3,5
The Hitchhiker - 4,5
The Sound of Murder - 4
Burnt - 4
Flight 715 - 3,5 stars
Howard's End - 3 stars
The Lift - 3,5 stars
The Phone Goes Dead - 3,5 stars
Twist Cottage - 4 stars
The Shortest Horror Story Ever - 4 stars
 - favourites are bolded - 

Over all I really enjoyed this book. I thought it would be a lot scarier, but it wasn't really that scary at all, and I honestly didn't mind that. I'm not a big horror fan, and I liked that I was actually able to read this before going to bed, and actually being able to fall asleep. 

While the stories wasn't that scary, they still had suspense and weren't boring. These stories are YA, something I didn't know going into it, and I think that why it wasn't as scary. But I still think that it's worth a read, though some were better than others. 

Buy this book?
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Review: The Final Descent

Title: The Final Descent (The Monstrumologist #4)
Author: Rick Yancey
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Year published: 2013
How I got this book: It's been a while, but I think I got it through BookDepository
My rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
Will Henry and Dr. Warthrop have encoutered many horrors together - but can Will endure a monstrumlogical terror without his mentor?

Will Henry has been through more that seems possible fora boy of fourteen. He's been on the brink of death on more than one occasion, he has gazed into hell - and hell has stared back at him, and known his face. But through it all, Dr. Warthrop as been at his side.

When Dr. Warthrop fears that Will's loyalties may be shifting, he turns on Will with a fury, determined to reclaim his young apprentice's devotion. And so Will must face one of the most horrific creatures of his monstrumology career - and he must face it alone.

Over the curse of one day, Will's life - and Pellinor Warthrop's destiny - will lie in balance. In the terrifying depths of the Monstrumarium, they will face a monster more terrible than they could have imagined - and their fates will be decided.

My thoughts:
I really like this series, and I'm a little bad sad that it's over. I did think this was the worst of them all, but it still wasn't bad. It wasn't as scary as the others, which was both good and disappointing. Well, disappointing may be harsh word, because I did still enjoy it. But it was different from the other books. 

As I said, it wasn't as scary as other books, but it was intense. Yancey keeps exploring the thin line between monsters and human, and we see Will Henry spiraling down, until he might be considered a mosnter himself. 

I won't spoil anything that happens in this book, but it kept twisting and turning, and I had no idea what was going to happen next. Yancey's writing is as beautiful as ever, and we kept jumping back and forth between young Will Henry and old Will Henry. I quite liked that, and though the times never intertwined, it still made some sense to me.

This will be a short review, because I don't want to spoil anything, and I feel that by saying more will spoil something. If you liked the other three books in this series, I would definitely recommend finishing it. It's different, but still captivating and beautiful, in its own way.

Buy this book?
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TTT: Book To Movie Adaptations I'm Looking Forward To / I Still Need To Watch

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Adaptations I'm looking forward to

• Mockingjay part 2
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
• The 5th Wave
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Ready Player One
• All The Bright Places

Still need to watch

• The Maze Runner
• The Martian

Which book to movie adaptaions are you looking forward to? I'm always excited to learn what books are being turned into movies.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

TTT: Debut Authors Who Have Me Looking Forward To Their Sophomore Novel

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

All the Bright Places - Jennifer Niven

None of the Above - I. W. Gregorio

The Wrath and the Dawn - Renée Ahdieh

The One Thing - Marci Lyn Curtis

I really like all of these books, and I can't wait for the authors to write new books. Luckily, I know the sequel to The Wrath and the Dawn is coming out next year, but I don't know anything about the other authors yet. Hopefully they are all working on new books now, because that would make me very happy. 

Who is on your list this week?

November TBR

My TBR isn't overly ambitious this month either, with only four books. I don't know how much time I'll have to read, and I don't want to pressure myself into reading so much that I'll just be stressed. But I will definitely be reading all of these. 

I'm currently reading Magonia and The Greek Myths. I'm absolutely loving Magonia so far, and I'm over halfway already. I've recieved an e-arc for Coal River, and will therefore be reading this before it comes out at the end of November, and will be posting a review for it. The last book, The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter is a book I'm reading for school, and hopefully I will finish that as soon as possible, so I can actually do my schoolwork on it. 

Magonia // The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter: Scenes De La Vie Boheme // Coal River // The Greek Myths

Whilst these are the only books that I definitely will read, I have some other books that I want to read if I have the time.

Do you have any reading plans this month?

October Wrap Up

Before writing this wrap up, I was absolutely sure that I'd only read 4 books this month. I'd completely forgotten that I'd read A Thousand Nights, Spinning Starlight and Queen of Shadows this month, because it seems like forever ago.

I didn't set my TBR-list very high this month, on purpose, and I'm glad I didn't. I knew that this month would be very busy for me, at least the second half, and therefore I'm glad that I didn't feel stressed because I wasn't able to read as much as I wanted.

I was able to read all the books I wanted to read, and add two more as well, and I'm really happy about that. October was a great reading month, I managed to read 7 books, and I enjoyed all of them.

A Thousand Nights // Spinning Starlight // Queen of Shadows // Hamlet //
Library of Souls // The Complete Horowitz Horror // The Final Descent

So far I've posted reviews on A Thousand Nights, Spinning Starlight, Queen of Shadows and Library of Souls. I will not be writing a review for Hamlet, but I have written reviews on Horowitz Horror and The Final Descent that will be posted on the blog soon, and when they do, I will also link them on this page.

So, how was your reading month? Did you read all the books you wanted, and what did you think about them?