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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