July Wrap Up

Hello!

In July I read a total of 10 books, which I'm quite happy about. At least considering I spent one week travelling, and the the rest of the time I've been working 8 hours a day, monday through friday. At least I can listen to audiobooks whilst at work, or else I would never have been able to read this much. So, here are the books I read this month, in the order I read them.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. This got 5 stars.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. This got 4,5 stars.

Hungry by H. A. Swain. This got 4 stars.

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen. This got 3,5 stars.

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. This got 5 stars.

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. This got 4 stars.

Aristotle and Dante Discovers the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This got 4,5 stars.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen. This got 3,5 stars.

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks. This got 4 stars.

A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow by George R. R. Martin. This got 3,5 stars.

Which books did you read this month?

Review: The Wrath and the Dawn

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1)
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Year published: 2015
How I got this book: Bought it at Strand Book Store in NYC
Why I read this book: I heard a lot of great things about it on the internet, and wanted to give it a shot
My rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
A sumptuous and epically told love store inspired by A Thousand and One Nights.

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch... she's falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

My thoughts:
I had a little bit of trouble getting into this book, because - to me - the names were so unusual. It took a while before I actually remember who was who, and got into it, but that was just me, and it wasn't something I took in account when rating this book. There were also a lot of new words that I didn't understand, and I didn't realize until I finished the book that there is a glossary in the back with all the words. That would have been helpful while reading, especially when picturing the characters in my head. 

I really enjoyed reading as Shazi, she was so interesting and complicated. And the stories she told the Caliph were amazing, and I found myself wanting more when she stopped. There's also a magical element in this book, which I enjoyed and found confusing at the same time. It didn't have a consistent appearance, but sort of popped in and out of the story without much explanation. I think that there will be more magic in the next book, and that hopefully means that we will learn more about it as well. 

The relationship development between Shazi and Khalid was a bit off to me. I did enjoy it, and I didn't really think about it too much, but now I don't think it's realistic. Shazi was conflicted for a long time about her feelings, but she always seemed to brush them off. It would have been different if she fell in love with him after she found out his secret, but by the time that happened, she was already in love with him.

But other than that, this is a great book. I enjoyed the characters - even though Tariq annoyed me immensely at times - and I want to know what happens to them in the next book. I can't wait until the next book comes out, and see how this all ends. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters Who Are Fellow Booknerds

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish






Isla
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Tyrion Lannister
A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin

Hermione Granger
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Celaena Sardothien
Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

Cath
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Matilda
Matilda by Roald Dahl

Elisabeth Bennet
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Bilbo Baggins
The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Edward Cullen
Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer

Sookie Stackhouse
Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charlaine Harris






I would love to see your list as well, so tell me in the comments or leave a link to your blogpost!

Review: The House of Hades

*Contains spoilers for the previous books in this series*

Title: The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus #4)
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Hyperion books
Year published: 2013
How I got this book: I bought it at Strand Book Store in NYC
Why I read this book: I love Riordan's writing and this series.
My rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy's instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea's forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don't succeed, Gaea's armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus. 

My thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book, and flew through it. I love all of the Seven, and care for them so much.  The Mark of Athena ended in the worst cliffhanger ever, so I was so desperate to get my hands on this and continuing the journey. 

In this book Percy and Annabeth are walking through Tartarus trying to find the Doors of Death, but most importantly: trying to stay alive. The fact Percy and Annabeth were the only POV's from Tartarus meant that we read a lot from their perspective. And I really liked that. I think they are the greatest couple, and they are so strong and great when they're together (when they're apart as well, but that's less exciting to read about).

The five other demigods are still on board on the Argo II, trying to find the other side of the Doors of Death, but not without obstacles for them either. The character development in some of them are crazy in this book, especially Hazel and Frank mature so much, and become stronger as a couple.

I'm not gonna say exactly what happens because I don't want to spoil too much, but I totally ship Leo with his new girl soooooo much, even though I have my doubt if it will actually work out. 

And last of all, Nico's revelation, I can't describe how much I enjoyed that. I did see it coming though, but I think that's because I was somewhat spoiled before reading this. I knew what the revelation was before reading this book, I just didn't know who it involved, but I was so pleasantly surprised! I really liked how it was incorporated into the story, and I hope that it'll help a lot of people, in it's own way.

So, as you probably understand I really enjoyed this book! I'm beyond sad that there's only on book left. I am currently reading that, but only a few chapters each day because I just don't want it to end. I'm not ready to say goodbye to any of these characters, even though I want to know how they're going to end up. 

Book Tag: Mid-Year Book Freak Out

 This tag was originally created by Ely Jayne and ReadLikeWildFire

1. Best book you've read so far in 2015.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2015

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

3. New releases you haven't read yet, but want to.

An Ember In the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

5. Biggest disappointment.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

6. Biggest surprise.

Act of God: A Novel by Jill Ciment. I had no idea if I would like this or not, because I don't read that much adult fiction, but I was so pleasantly surprised!

7. Favourite new author

Sarah J. Maas. I hadn't read any of her books in previous years, but so far in 2015 I've read everything she's published. I love this woman, and her writing. I wish I could be her friend

8. Newest fictional crush

Rhysand from a Court of Thorns and Roses. I know he's not the "nicest" guy, but he's just so interesting and I want to help him and I just love him so much.

9. Newest favourite character.

Leo Valdez from Heroes of Olympus. How can you not love Leo?

10. Book that made you cry

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

11. Book that made you happy

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins. All of the books in this series make me happy, but especially this one.

12. Favourite book to film adaptation you saw this year.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth. I wasn't the biggest fan of this movie and have quite a few problems with it, but as longs as I didn't think about the book it was enjoyable. Not amazing, but not terrible either.

13. Favourite video you've done so far

14. Most beautiful book you've bought/received so far this year.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. I think this cover is so beautiful, with the colors and the dragon and just everything.
15. Books you need to read by the end of the year

The Final Descent by Rick Yancey. I've read the other books in this series, and I really want to finish it because it's so good. If all goes according to plan I will read this in October, because I like to read the scary books around Halloween. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Celebrate Diversity

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

LGTBQ (gay characters)

The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

POC

Aristotle and Dante Discovers the Secret of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

LGBTQ (gay characters)

None of the Above by I. W. Gregario

LGBTQ (intersex main character)

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

LGBTQ (Gay main character)

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
POC

Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

POC and LGBTQ

This Book Is Gay by James Dawson

I think this one's pretty obvious

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Again, pretty obvious

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

POC main character

Which books are on your list this week?

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Year published: 2015
How I got this book: Barnes & Nobles in New York
Why I read this book: I love the Throne of Glass series by Sarah, and this had such good reviews that I had to read it. 
My rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beat-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only know about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin - one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it ... or doom Tamlin - and his world - forever.

My thoughts:
This is a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, and I absolutely loved it. Beauty and the Beast is my favourite Disney movie, so I was a little worried that this would disappoint me. But it never did. There are some elements that are clearly taken from the fairytale, but Maas also made this story her own. She also made some opposites, that I really enjoyed, for instance that while Belle loves to read, Feyre doesn't know how to and loves painting instead. 

When I finished this book I was a little confused. I knew that this was going to be a trilogy, but I didn't know that Maas will incorporate a different fairytale/myth in the next one, so I was so confused because the Beauty and the Beast story was already finished. 

I can't get over how good Maas is at writing fictional boys that I just fall in love with, while being completely different from each other. Tamlin was so adorable, and I fell completely in love with him. 

From here on, there will be spoilers

I just have to say that while I did love Tamlin, a lot, I love Rhysand so much more. When Feyre first ran into him the forest during the solstice, I just knew that we would be seeing more of him, and I couldn't wait. And when he goes to the spring court again and is all mean, I just knew that he wasn't all that bad. I mean, he obviously knew that Feyre was giving a fake name, but he didn't do anything about it. While I obviously think that some of the things he did at the end of the book were questionable, I understand why he did it. But Rhys obviously has been through a lot, and I can't wait to learn more about him in the next book.

And when Feyre get's sent away just THREE days before the curse can't be broken anymore? I got so mad at Tamlin when he did that, and at Lucien for letting him go through with it. So when Feyre decides to go back I was so happy, because finally they can be together. But then, of course Tamlin is missing.

The final part of the book, with the trials under the mountain was so intense. I couldn't put the book down, and I was so into it. I couldn't understand the riddle Amarantha gave Feyre, but I didn't really try that hard either, to be honest. I didn't want to stop reading the book, so I didn't give myself time to think about it. 

I know that this review probably didn't make that much sense, but that's because my thoughts about this book is still all over the place. But I did really enjoy it, and would recommend it to everyone that likes fairytales, fantasy and a good romance. 

Review: In Real Life

Title: In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World
Author: Joey Graceffa
Publisher: Atria/Keywords Press
Year published: 2015
How I got this book: Bought it at a Barnes & Nobles in New York
Why I read this book: I used to be a big fan of Joey, and honestly, I wasn't planning on picking up his book since I don't really watch his video anymore. But all of a sudden I see that the bookstore has an autographed copy, and being the fangirl I am, I obviously had to by it. 
My rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
A confessional, uplifting memoir from the beloved YouTube personality.

It's not where you begin that matters.

It's where you end up.

Twenty-three year old Joey Graceffa has captured the hearts of millions of teens and young adults through his playful, sweet, and inspirational YouTube presence (not to mention his sparkling eyes and perfect hair.) Yet, Joey wasn't always comfortable in his skin, and in this candid memoir, he thoughtfully looks back on his journey from pain to pride, self-doubt to self-acceptance.

To his fans, Joey is that best friend who always captures the brighter side of life, but also isn't afraid to get real. In the pages of his first book, he opens up about his years of struggling with family hardships and troubles at school, with cruel bullying and the sting of rejection. He tells of first loves and losses, embarrassing moments and surprising discoveries, loneliness, laughter, and life-changing forks in the road, showing us the incalculable value of finally finding and following your true passions in this world. Funny, warm-hearted, and inspiring, Joey Graceffa's story is a welcome reminder that it's not where you being that matters, but where you end up.

My thoughts:
I am so glad I picked this up, because I thoroughly enjoyed this. We learn so much about Joey's past, and that it hasn't always been easy. For me, the best part came later in the book. I was a big fan in 2011/2012, and I pretty much watched all of his videos. And in this book we learn so much about those years as well, and what he was struggling with behind the scenes. My heart broke a little, but the ending was happy (so far, at least).

I don't really have much to say about this, except that I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Everyone that has watched or are watching Joey'd videos should read this, and they will most likely enjoy it. I could tell that it was Joey telling me all of this throughout the book, and even though he had help writing it, they really kept his spirit in the writing. 

Review: The Mark of Athena

Title: The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3)
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Year published: 2012
How I got this book: Borrowing from school library
Why I read this book: I love this series
My rating: 4,5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy - after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera - it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can't blame he Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sights of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace. 

And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feel weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find - and close - the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows that she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side. 

My thoughts:
You know how when you finish a book, you sometimes immediately know what you're going to write in your review? This was not one of them. I don't know what to make of my thoughts about this in a way that makes sense. 

I really liked this book. So far, I really like all of the books in the series. I don't know what to say. 

In this book the seven heroes finally meets each other, and Annabeth and Percy are reunited. I loved seeing how they all acted around each other. There was a lot of tension between some of the characters, like Jason and Percy, and I liked that all of the main characters didn't really get along, but they knew when they needed to stick together. 

There's a lot happening in this book, especially at the end. They all split up, so we read from different adventures that's happening at the same time. While this could lead to a lot of confusion, Rick does it in a great way. He doesn't switch between the characters too often, there are at least 3 chapters for each in a row. And we don't read from all seven perspectives, just four; Annabeth, Percy, Hazel and Leo. 

I've found out that I enjoy reading from Annabeth's perspective the most. It's interesting to see how her brain works and how she figures things out. 

So far in this series, my favourite is The Son of Neptune, but I love them all and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. This book ended on such a cliffhanger, I can't bear it

Top Ten Tuesday: Recently Required Books

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Hello! So this post will basically just be a New York haul, since I bought 9 of them while I was there. But anyway, I hope you enjoy and tell me in the comments if we have some common books!

So I'm going to start with my most recent by, and work my way backwards. 

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. This is the only book on this list that I didn't by whilst in NYC, and I bought it at my local bookstore. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. I got this at a Barnes & Noble in NYC. This was a book that was on my to buy-list while I was there. 

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. This one was also bought at Barnes & Noble, and was also a book I really wanted to buy.

In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World by Joey Graceffa. The last one I bought at Barnes & Noble. Before I left I wasn't really sure if I wanted to read it or not, but when I saw that they had autographed copies I was sold and bought it. 

In fear of repeating myself to much; the rest of the books were bought at Strand Book Store, my absolute favourite bookshop in the world.

Hungry by H. A. Swain. I had never heard of this book before I stumbled across it, but the premise was so intriguing that I just had to buy it. (And it was only 5 dollars.)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I'd heard about this book on youtube so many times, so I'm glad i finally have it.

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan. As you probably know, I absolutely love this series, so I was looking for this while browsing through the store.

Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey. I actually though this was another book when I first bough it. I thought this was the book called The Witch Hunger, because I couldn't remember the name or the cover. But while it wasn't what I thought I was buying, this also sounds interesting and I can't wait to read it. 

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks. I don't know a lot about this book, all I know is that it has mermaids in it. And that's enough for me.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. Another one that I don't know much about, but I've heard it mentioned on booktube a couple of times. I had in on my phone as an audibook, but I prefer physical books so I picked this up as well. 

Do we have any of the same books? What's the last ten books you bought?