Top Ten Tuesday: Books Set Outside The US

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

Hello!

I feel like SO MANY books are set in the States, especially YA books. I get that it's a big, English-speaking country, but it sort of sucks for us not living in the states. There are stil plenty of good books that take place in other countries, and these are just some of them, that I've really enjoyed.

The first mention on this list is, no surprise, The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowing. These take place in the UK, and they're basically my childhood.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs is going to be the next book on this list, and this also includes the two other books in this series. These are not completely "USA-free", but the majority of the story takes place in the UK. 

The Girl on the Train  by Paula Hawkins. A murder-mystery set in the UK, near London. This book is thrilling and keeps you guessing until the last page.

The Girl in the Photograph by Kate Riordan. This is also set in the UK, as most of the books on this list. I recently read this, and it's an adult historical-fiction novel, set in the English countryside.

Me Before You  by Jojo Moyes. Who hasn't heard of this by now? Also set in the UK, however it also contains some travel to other countries. The story is absolutely heartbreaking, and so amazing.

I'll See You in Paris by Michelle Gable. Another historical-fiction novel taking place in the UK and in France. It's a great historical-fiction, and both stories are interesting and connected in a good way.

Hamlet by Shakespeare. So this is a play, not a book, but I really wanted to include it. It takes place in Denmark, near the ocean close to Sweden. I don't know how to describe this play, other than the fact that it's amazing.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. This is a YA contemporary, and it takes place in Paris. The story is super sweet, and it's perfect for this time of year. It's been a while since I've read it, but it's definitely worth picking up!

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. This middle-grade book is sweet, funny and amazing. We follow a main character with autism, and it really opened my eyes to the disorder. It takes place in the UK, and it's definitely worth pickin up.

The Summer of Secrets by Martina Reilly. This takes place in Ireland, and though it has been a while since I read it, I remember it being sweet and dark, at the same time. The main character struggles with PTSD, and this novel explores that in a great way, opening the eyes of the reader.

I thought this list would be easy to write, but I actually struggled finding books. I intentionally didn't include any high-fantasy, because I don't feel like those really count. Instead I focused on books taking place in actual countries, and I just now realised just how many books take place in the States. It's not something I think about that much when I'm actually reading, but this Top Ten Tuesday has really opened my eyes.

What is your favourite book that takes place outside the US?

Review: Cinder

Title: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Year published: 2012
How I got this book: I don't remember, but I probably bought it at Bookdepository (afiiliate link)
My rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's date hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. This was my second attempt at reading it, and I enjoyed it so much more this time around. It's been over a year since I first tried, but I wasn't in the mood for it and only got a couple of pages in. Now, I started listening to it as an audiobook, and I was immersed in the story immediately. 

Cinder is a re-telling of Cinderella, but with cyborgs, robots and really cool technology. I haven't read any Cinderella retellings before, but this has set the bar high for any others I might come across. I'm usually not that into sci-fi with cyborgs and such, but it worked in this book. I really liked the universe this was set in, it was our world, just further in the future. It was super easy to get into, and I always understood everything.

This is the first book in a series, and I have the two next as well. That's actually what made me pick up this book again now. I bought the two next ones on sale at my local bookshop, so I just had to start them. I'm generally a big fan of fairytales and re-tellings, so based on that this should be right up my alley. 

I found all the characters to be realistic, and I really enjoyed reading about them and how they interacted with each other. The chemistry between the different characters really worked, and the relationships seemed believable, which isn't always the case. 

This is definitely a book I would recommend if you enjoy sci-fi, fairytale-retellings, or just great books. I can't wait to start the next one, and I hope it will be just as good.

Buy this book?
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Review: Girl Online

Title: Girl Online (Girl Online #1)

Author: Zoe Sugg, ghostwritten by Siobhan Curham
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year published: 2015
How I got this book: I got it as a present for christmas
My rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
I had no idea GirlOnline would take off the way it has - I can't believe I now have 5432 followers, thanks so much! - and the thought of opening up to you all about this is terrifying, but here goes...

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad, whirlwind family - and the panic attacks she's suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever.

My thoughts:
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. One of my friends told me that this book was really disappointing, so I didn't want to go in with high expectations. I really like Zoe's videos on youtube, and because I watch her videos, I read this with her voice in my head. I caught myself looking for similarities in Penny's life, and in Zoe's. 

I read this book in one sitting, though that wasn't planned. I started to read it at night to relax a bit, and kept telling myself "just one more chapter, then I'll turn off the lights". Before I knew it, the book was finished and I actually wanted to read the next one.

The characters in this book were all relatable, in some way or another. The plot wasn't anything new, but still felt a bit refreshing. 

I remember that there was a bit of a "scandal" with this book a while ago, because it turned out Zoe didn't write it herself. She had a ghostwriter that wasn't mentioned at all. However, on goodreads it now says that it was ghostwritten by Siobhan Curham. The writing was good, and I have no doubt that that was because of the ghostwriter. I still found the idea and plot good as well, and I just enjoyed this book. 

This isn't a book that will stick with me forever, or made me think that much. It brings attention to anxiety and panic attacks, which I think is wonderful, and I also think it's dealt with in a good way. I don't have much more to say about this, except that if you're looking for a nice beach read or something like that, I will recommend this.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Facts about me

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Hello!

This week the theme is facts about me, and they could be bookish or just general. I'm going to do a mostly bookish one, but I can't promise that they'll all be related to books.

1. When this is published I'm on holiday in Denmark, visiting my family.

2. I'm able to listen to audiobooks when I'm at work, and because of that I've been able to listen to all the A Song of Ice and Fire books on audiobooks.

3. I've loved reading for such a long time, and for as long as I can remember, I've always tried to bring up books I've read in school assignments.

4. I'm able to read way more than I think I will when I'm on vacation. Last summer I bought 9 books at the beginning of our vacation, and before we came home I'd read 8 of them, and some others as well.

5. I don't have one favourite genre. Sometimes I prefer fantasy, other times I prefer contemporary.

6. I re-read Harry Potter every year. I love the books so much, and I make it a point to always read them at least once a year.

7. Some of my friends used to tell me that reading was completely pointless and that I'd never get anything out of it.

8. In October, I'm starting my bachelor degree on English Literature, where the main point is, basically, reading.

9. I either want to be an editor or a translator when I'm finished with my studies, though I'm not sure of which one yet.

10. I have an entire shelf in my room with unread books, and another one with the ones I've read. The TBR-shelf is never getting smaller, however, the finished shelf is completely out of space, and keeps getting fuller.

So, that was 10 facts about me, mostly bookish ones. Tell me one bookish fact about yourself!

Review: The Girl in the Photograph

Title: The Girl in the Photograph
Author: Kate Riordan
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year published: 2015
How I got this book: Borrowed it from my cousin when she told me to read it
My rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
In the summer of 1933, Alice Eveleigh has arrived at Fiercombe Manor in disgrace. The beautiful house becomes her sanctuary, a place to hide her shame from society in the care of the housekeeper, Mrs Jelphs. But the manor also becomes a place of suspicion, one of secrecy.

Something isn't right.

Someone is watching.

There are secrets that the manor house seems determined to keep. Tragedy haunts the empty rooms and foreboding hangs heavy in the stifling heat. Traces of the previous occupant, Elizabeth Stanton, are everywhere and soon Alice discovers Elizabeth's life eerily mirrors the path she herself is on.

My thoughts:
This book wasn't bad or good, it was just okay. Okay in the sense that I don't regret reading it, but I doubt I'll pick up another book by Kate Riordan. However, I think a lot of people will enjoy this book, especially someone who likes adult fiction more than me. I usually stick to YA or NA, and therefore I'm not used to reading books like this.

We follow two different people in this book, from two different perspectives. We have our main character, Alice, and her story in 1934. And then we have Elizabeth, and her story takes place in 1898. Though most of the story, about 2/3, are from Alice's perspective, I enjoyed reading from Elizabeth's POV a lot more. 

I have to say, I really struggled to get into this book. I didn't feel really connected to the characters or the story, and I had to tell myself to pick the book up and read, because I did want to finish it. However, the last 1/4 of the book, I finally got into it. 

One of the reasons I couldn't quite get into it was the length of the chapters. I prefer shorter chapters, because that way it's easier to pick up the book and start reading. When you know one chapter is about 40 pages, it's quite intimidating to pick up. I only put down books at the end of chapters, and therefore it was a time commitment every time I picked up the book. And to make matters worse, the only chapters that weren't long were the chapters from Elizabeth's POV.

This book did get 3 stars from me though, so it wasn't all bad. The story itself is a good story, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I wish I had. My cousin had praised it, so my expectations were quite high. I probably won't recommend this to a lot of people, unless I know they like books like this. My mother is going to read it after me, and I think she will enjoy it more than I did. 

To wrap it up, I would say that this is a good book. If you like historical fiction, this is definitely a book you will enjoy. 

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Review: Inborn

Title: Inborn (The Birthright #1)
Author: Amy Saunders
Publisher: Amy Saunders
Year published: 2016
How I got this book: I got it through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
Rosamund Brandt has had a semi normal life for sixteen years. Well, semi normal for a family descended from aliens. Sure, she could create portals and her family had a secret basement. But she went to school, had a best friend, and got her driving permit like every other teen.

However, her definition of "normal" unravels when a killer with multiple powers and an agenda steps into town. When Rosamund herself becomes a target, she has a choice between playing the killer's game and saving a few, or getting to the core of the murders and stopping them for good.

Rosamund's choice will save everyone she cares about - or unleash a new era for herself and her family, shattering whatever hope for going back to normal she had.

My thoughts:
Before I start, this review will not contain any spoilers. However, if you wish to go into this book knowing as little as possible, I would recommend not reading this before reading the book.

I usually don't read a lot of sci-fi, because I always think I won't like it. This book proved me wrong. It immediately grabs your attention, and it's difficult to put it down. As soon as you're invested in this book, you want to know what happens.

The mystery in this book is so well though out, and I didn't know anything until it was revealed. We only know what the main character, Rosamund, knows, and with her confusion it's not easy trying to find out who the killer is. You don't know who you can trust until you finish the last chapter, and I absolutely loved that. 

Our main character, Rosamund Brandt, had a really enjoyable POV. We only read from her perspective throughout the entire book, and it really works in this. Only knowing what she knows, and being confused when she is, it really draws you into the story. 

Though this is about aliens, I found everything to be quite believable. The way that the "alien society"  worked, and how they all live with normal people, it made the story very easy to follow. The fact that they were aliens weren't the main point in this book, the plot was about finding out who the killer was, and they just happen to be aliens.

It says that this book is the first one in The Birthright series, so I will definitely pick up the next one when that comes out. This book doesn't leave you with a big cliffhanger, but it leaves enough to make you want more, and to find out more of what's happening. 

This is a book I would recommend to people, even though they might not be fans of sci-fi. It's more of a mystery thriller, with a bit of sci-fi as well. And it really works! It might not be something I'll recommend to my mother, but I will talk about it to my friends. If you are even a little bit intrigued by the synopsis, or any review, you should pick it up. 

Buy this book?
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Top Ten Tuesday: Enjoyable Reads With Less Than 2000 Ratings On Goodreads

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

The Greek Myths: Stories of the Greek Gods and Heroes Vividly Retold by Robin A. H. Waterfield - 534 ratings on Goodreads

The Summer of Secrets by Martina Reilly - 219 ratings on Goodreads

The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis - 1084 ratings on Goodreads

Act of God by Jill Ciment - 610 ratings on Goodreads

Hungry by H. A. Swain - 1611 ratings on goodreads

Coal River by Ellen Marie Wiseman - 1211 ratings on Goodreads

Spinning Starlight by R. C. Lewis - 953 ratings on Goodreads

I'll See You in Paris by Michelle Gable - 1017 ratings on Goodreads

The Final Descent by Rick Yancey - 1809 ratings on Goodreads

Full Share  by Eliza Freed - 43 ratings on Goodreads

These are all books that I really enjoyed reading, and I'm honestly surprised that they have so few ratings on Goodreads. Some of them are quite new releases, less than a year old, so maybe people haven't discovered them yet. I liked all of these, and would recommend them all to friends. If some of these seem interesting to any of you, I recommend reading a bit more about them. Who knows, one of them may be your next favourite book!

What are your favourite book with less than 2000 ratings on Goodreads?

July TBR

Hello!

I have a couple books I really want to read this month, but I'm trying to not plan too much. I am working full time for three weeks, and I'm also spending a week in Denmark, so I don't know how much I'll be able to read. I've also finished a book this month, so I won't mention that here, but it will be mentioned in my wrap up at the end of the month.

I'll start with two books I've already started, but not finished yet.

I'm currently reading both Carry On by Rainbow Rowell and Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I'm listening to Cinder on audiobook, and I'm enjoying it so far. 

No summer is complete without reading a Sarah Dessen books, so I have chosen to read Last Chance. I've had it for quite a while, end July is the perfect time to read one of her books.

I also want to get to the second volume of Saga this month. It's been a while since I finished the first volume, and now this is just sitting on my shelf. It will also be a nice break between the other books, as this is one I'll fly through in no time.

I'm not completely sure if I'll get to Scarlet by Marissa Meyer in July, it depends on when I am able to finish Cinder. I picked up both Scarlet and Cress yesterday, so I am staying hopeful.

I am currently in the middle of rereading the Harry Potter series, so I am hoping to get to both The Order of the Phoenix and The Half-Blood Prince this month. The books are starting to get longer, so I am no longer able to finish them in a day, after work, but I enjoy them so much, I have no doubt I'll find time to read these.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get to some other books as well, but I don't want to limit myself too much this month. I want to be able to pick up books I just feel like reading, without having to stick to a list. I am lucky enough that I am able to listen to audiobooks when I'm working, but I don't know what I'll be listening to while I'm at work yet.

What books do you want to read this month?

Wrap Up: June

Hello!

June has been a pretty good reading month for me, and despite having several exams, I managed to read 12 books. I don't really understand how I was able to read this much, but I think it's because I haven't had a lot of full school days. Several of these books were also quick reads, and several were finished in a day or two.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas - 5 stars - review

Full Share by Eliza Freed - 4 stars - review

The Odyssey by Homer - 3 stars

After you by Jojo Moyes - 3,5 stars - review

The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter by Henri Murger - 2 stars

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore - 4,5 stars - review

The Rose and the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh - 3,5 stars - review

Inborn by Amy Saunders - 4 stars - review will be coming shortly

¨

The Girl in the Photograph by Kate Riordan - 3 stars - review will be coming shortly

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling - 5 stars

Girl Online by Zoe Sugg - 4 stars - review will be coming shortly

Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving - 3 stars

Looking back, this month has been a wonderful reading month, and I can just hope that July will be the same. I also managed to complete my reading goal for the year, reading 35 books. I knew I'd be able to finish that throughout the year, but I didn't expect it to happen in June. However, I will not change my goal to a larger number, because I know I'll read anyway.

How was your reading month?

Review: The Rose and the Dagger

This is the sequel to The Wrath and the Dawn, and will therefore contain spoilers for that book. You can find my review for The Wrath and the Dawn here.

Title: The Rose and the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn #2)
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publisher: Putnam
Year published: 2016
How I got this book: Bought in on BookDepository (affiliate link)
My rating: 3,5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
 The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph og Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster - a merciless killer og wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain - but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead and extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.

Now she's reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid - a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi's spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive. 

The saga that began with The Wrath and the Dawn takes its final turn as Shahrzad risks everything to find her way back to her one true love again.

My thoughts:
I don't have much to say without spoiling the book, so I'll keep the spoiler-free section short. I enjoyed this book, but it was a bit disappointing. I wasn't able to completely connect to the story, and until about halfway through, I honestly found it quite boring. It's not a bad book, but it's not as good as The Wrath and the Dawn, in my opinion. 

From here on, there will be spoilers. Please, do not continue reading unless you've read the book, or have no plans of reading it at all. 

As I said in the spoiler-free section, I struggled to get into this book. I read The Wrath and the Dawn last summer, so the story was still fairly fresh in my mind. I still struggled a lot getting back into the story, and nothing really happened. Another reason I struggled was the way this was written. Ahdieh uses a lot of words I don't understand, especially to describe clothing. These words are always written in italic, but that doesn't help me understand them better. When I read a book, I don't want to keep looking up words that I don't understand. Though it's a small detail, it still made it so much harder getting into the story and being fully immersed. It's not that easy to picture everything, when you don't understand the words describing clothes. 

One thing I really like about this series is Shazi's and Khalid's relationship. They love each other so much, and would do everything for each other. Don't get me wrong, it's not a perfect relationship, but it's so passionate and full of love, I can't help admiring it. 

Halfway in this book really picked up, and all of a sudden there were so many things happening. You get to read from different perspectives, which I really liked, and therefore you learn of what is happening. We know more than Shazi, or Khalid, and in this book, it really works. We don't know everything, but we know enough to keep us guessing and hoping.

Though it takes a long time before this picks up, if you enjoyed The Wrath and the Dawn, you'll probably enjoy this as well. It has the same feel, and the same characters and then some. It's easy to keep track of everything that's going on, and you do connect to the characters.

This may not be a book I'll ever reread, but I'm still glad that I did read it. It works as entertainment, and I know that many people like this a lot more than I do, which I'm really happy about. Even though I didn't like this as much as the first, I think it wrapped up the story nicely. It's definitely a fitting conclusion to this duology. 

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