Friday 23 September 2016

Friday Reads #7 - September 23.

Hi booklovers

First, let me give you a little summary of what I read this week:

- I finished Saga Volume 1 and Volume 2. Today I started Volume 3. I really enjoyed rereading the first two volumes. I had forgotten how much I liked the art work. I'm curious to see if I'll like the third volume just as much.

- I'm slowly making my way through Six of Crows. I read about 40 pages.

- I listened to about three hours of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

During the upcoming weekend and week I would like to:

- finish Saga Volume 3. Although I want it to last a while, I know I will fly through it. But I don't own the next volume yet, so yeah...

- hopefully make a big dent in Six of Crows. I already know I won't finish it before Crooked Kingdom comes out, but oh well, I'm really enjoying it so far.

- finish listening to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I'm not really sure which one of my audiobooks I would like to pick up next: I have Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence, The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson and The Lies of Locke Lamore by Scott Lynch. I also have these books in physical form, so I want to combine reading and listening to them. Any suggestions on what I should start reading first?

What are you reading this weekend / next week? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Wednesday 21 September 2016

Top 10 Tuesday #4 - September 21

Hi booklovers

This week's top 10 Tuesday (posted on Wednesday :-$) is 'All About Audio freebie'.

Since this is a freebie I wanted to share my top 10 favourite Sabaton songs.

Sabaton is a Swedish powermetal band I absolutely love.
I've seen them perform live a couple of times already and it's always been great fun. One of the things I really like about Sabaton (and other metal bands) is that there songs more often than not tell a story. Sabaton's songs usually tell the story of a war or an epic battle. Living in Belgium, a country that's been affected by both world wars, this is something that appeals to me very much.

So without further ado, I present to you my top 10 favourite Sabaton songs:

(Click on the title of the song to go to YouTube, click on the name of the album to go to the Sabaton website and read some of the historic background of the song.)

I'm going to give these songs a number, but these are all equally my favourite songs. (To be honest, I love almost all of their songs, but I had to choose, right?)











I know this is not everybody's cup of tea, but I really love listening to their music and I hope to attend many more of their live shows in the (near) future!

Bye for now

Annelies

Friday 16 September 2016

Friday Reads #6 - September 16.

Hi booklovers

I know it's been a while, but today I want to do another Friday Reads.


Since the beginning of September I've started teaching again, which means I'm commuting again as well. That also means I'm going back to reading more on my e-reader or picking up graphic novels.

I've already read Legend by Marie Lu (both as an e-book and a physical copy) and I really enjoyed it. I also finished listening to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. This is wonderful, Stephen Fry does such a great job at narrating the story.


This week I started and finished Volume 2 of Fables (Animal Farm). I'm really enjoying this graphic novel series and I really want to continue with it. I've also started listening to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I'm currently reading the physical copy of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Hopefully I'll be able to finish it before Crooked Kingdom comes out. On the train today I started rereading Saga Volume 1.
I'll be continuing Six of Crows this weekend and the upcoming week. I'm hoping to finish Saga Volume 1 and also start Volume 2 so I can soon move on to Volume 3.


What will you be reading this weekend / next week? Let me know in the comments.


Bye for now

Annelies

Wednesday 14 September 2016

Waiting on Wednesday #4 - September 14.

Hi booklovers
 This is created by Breaking the Spine

A book I'm really looking forward to be released is Crystal Storm by Morgan Rhodes.
I know I haven't read Frozen Tides yet (I don't even own it yet), but I'm planning on reading it before Crystal Storm comes out.
I'm really looking forward to diving back into this world, but I think I might have to reread the first three books because it's been a while since I read them.
I haven't looked at the synopsis yet, because I don't want to spoil myself for Frozen Tides, so I don't really know what it's about.
Can we please take a minute to appreciate this cover, it's stunning!

This book comes out on the 13th of December.

What book are you excited to be released? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Tuesday 13 September 2016

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas - (mostly) non-spoiler review.

Hi booklovers

In my previous post I said that I reread ACOTAR so I could dive straight into A Court of Mist and Fury.

Beware, this will contain spoilers for ACOTAR.

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: NA, fantasy
Format: paperback

*Story:
The story picks up three months after the events that happened 'Under the Mountain'. We find Feyre and Tamlin trying to cope with everything they went through, but they're not doing a great job. They haven't heard from Rhysand yet, upholding his end of the bargain he made with Feyre. At some point, however, Rhys does come to the Spring Court and takes Feyre to the Night Court.

*Characters:
-Feyre:
She is a complete mess after everything she did 'Under the Mountain'. I like her character a lot better than I did in ACOTAR. She really grows and comes into her own in this book. I like how she deals with her trauma's, not always head-on, but she tries to do something about them.
SPOILER:
I also like how she stands up to Tamlin and how she leaves him to go to Rhys. I think it's very cool how she discovers that she has powers from all of the seven High Lords who 'Made' her and how she gradually learns how to use them.

-Tamlin: I did not like Tamlin at all in this book. He was such a controlling, dominating, almost abusive basterd. I get that he's scared of losing Feyre again, but that doesn't give him the right to treat her like he does, locking her up and stuff. I also don't like his possessive nature in this book.
SPOILER:
I think it's unforgivable what he did when he went to the King of Hybren to form an alliance.

-Lucien: We don't get to see that much of Lucien is this book, which is a petty. He sometimes tries to reason with Tamlin to try and help Feyre, but usually he's not successful. It seemed to me like he had no backbone in this story.
SPOILER:
I never thought Lucien would find his mate after losing his lover in such a horrible way. I hope this will be explored more in the next book, since this only happens at the end of the book.

-Rhysand: Oh, Rhysand, how I love that character. In ACOTAR he's portrayed as a real villain, but he is so much more, such a complex character. I think he has one of the better character developments in this book.
SPOILER:
It turns out that his 'stumbling' at the end of ACOTAR was indeed the mating bond with Feyre snapping in place. I love the relationship development between Rhys and Feyre: how they go from Feyre not being able to stand him through his shameless flirting and finally their full-on relationship and mating bond. I do have to admit that I rolled my eyes when Rhysand said he was going to roar so loudly when climaxing while having sex with Feyre he was going to make the mountains shake. Modest much?

-Mor: I really liked her, I liked how badass she is, but also how loyal she is to her High Lord. I'm very intrigued by her relationship with both Cassian and Azriel.

-Cassian:
Another very likeable, loyal, badass character. I love how he is the total oppossite of Azriel. I can't wait to find out how his story will develop.
SPOILER:
I am curious to see whether there will be a mating bond or just a relationship between him and Nesta.

-Azriel: I found Azriel to be as captivating as Rhysand. He is such a dark, brooding, but most of all fascinating character. I instantly loved him. I'm very curious to see where his story will go.
SPOILER:
When will he ever admit his love for Mor?

-Amren: I wonder what kind of creature she really is. At first I didn't much care for her, but she definitely grew on me. In her own peculiar way she is a very loyal character.

-Nesta: Even though she still hates everything fae-related, she comes across as a strong-willed person willing to stand up for her sister Elain. I loved her interaction with Cassian.

-Elain: She is such a gullible character. I hope her character will develop further in the next book.
SPOILER:
I'm counting on some further character-development because of the mating bond with Lucien.

-The King of Hybren: Such a despicable character, although he could have done with some more character-development as well.

-The Mortal Queens: Oh how I hate these witches!

*Plot:
This was the first Hades & Persephone-type of retelling I have ever read. I know the going back and forth between the Spring and Night Court doesn't happen that often, but I still found it interesting.
The worldbuilding in this book is so much better than in ACOTAR. The details with which certain places in the Night Court are described are so good. You really feel like you're a part of the world. Also, for most of the characters, the character-development is a lot better in this book.

*Overall rating:
I'm still debating between 4.5 and the full 5 star-rating. There were still some things in the story that were accepted a bit too quickly, but overall I was enthralled by it. It was an emotional rollercoaster. What I hadn't expected was the detailed way in which the sex scenes were described. They are definitely not suited for younger readers. Don't get me wrong, I didn't mind the steaminess, I just found it surprising they were so 'explicit'.

I'm very curious so see how the story will unfold and which 'fairytale' retelling we will get next. I also sincerely hope the story won't be dragged out too long with all the books that Maas has planned for this series.
Have you read ACOMAF? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Sunday 4 September 2016

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - non-spoiler review.

Hi booklovers


Today I'll be reviewing A Court of Thorns and Roses. I read this book for the first time when it came out last year and I reread it in July before moving on to A Court of Mist and Fury.
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: YA/NA, fantasy
Format: paperback

*Story:

Feyre is a mortal huntress who - like almost every other mortal - fears everything faye and fairy-related. One day, while she is out hunting to feed her starving sisters and father, she encounters a wolf. She doesn't hesitate to kill it, but she'll pay a high price for it. As punishment she is taken to the Spring Court, one of the 7 kingdoms of Prythian to live with her captor Tamlin and his emissary Lucien.

*Characters:
-Feyre:
I both liked and loathed Feyre. On the one hand she is a determined character that goes to great lengths to help her family although they don't really appreciate it. She goes through a bit of character growth, which is good, but it's not a major growth. One thing I did like was that she wasn't a virgin. Sometimes the heroin in a story becomes more human because of that. I don't really know how to explain it, but I thought that was one of the strongpoints of Cleo in Falling Kingdoms too. Maybe in ACOTAR it was because it shows that even though Feyre usually only thinks about taking care of others, she sometimes lets her own needs and wants be more important. Another thing I liked a lot was her bantering with Lucien.
On the other hand she made some really, really stupid decisions. How many times can you put yourself in harm's way by doing things or going places you're not supposed to? A great many times, apparently!
SPOILER:
The summum of her stupid decisions was when she leaves Tamlin, even though she has been warned not to. There was only one occasion where you can applaud her for risking her own life and that's when she goes 'Under the Mountain' to save Tamlin.


-Tamlin:
Talk about a fickle guy! One minute he comes barging in Feyre's hut to take her to the Spring Court and the next he's trying to make Feyre like him by giving her compliments.
SPOILER:
I get why he's trying to be friendly to her and wants her to love him, although I don't like that we find that out very late into the story. (More about that later.)
I have to admit I was rather intrigued by him and his permanently attached mask and the curse that was put on him and his entire court.


-Lucien:
I liked Lucien from the start. He is such a feisty character and like I said, I really enjoyed his bantering with Feyre. I also liked how his sympathy towards Feyre goes from absolutely loathing her to actually caring for her and being her friend. I would, however, have liked to get more of his backstory.
SPOILER:
We find out that he left his scheming father and brothers behind in the Autumn court after they killed his lover. We also only find out how he lost his eye until very late in the story.


-Rhysand:
At first I thought he was a true villain because he is portrayed that way. He sometimes is an absolute prick, but you soon realise there's so much more to him.
SPOILER:
Why did he 'stumble' when he left Feyre behind at the end after Amaranthe was defeated?


-Amaranthe:
Even though I hated this character with a passion, she was also very interesting character. I kept wondering why she was so evil. Unfortunately, we don't really find that out.

*Plot:
I find the idea of a world divided into a mortal and immortal realm fascinating. I also really enjoyed the different courts. However, I would have liked to see more of the courts, and it that regard I found the worldbuilding to be lacking and that's a pity. Even the Spring Court isn't shown completely.

It took me about 100 pages to get into the story the first time I read it because I found it to be a bit slow at first.
SPOILER:
The last part of the story, when we are 'Under the Mountain' was very captivating, however. This was an emotional rollercoaster with Feyre being beaten up, almost dying, striking the bargain with Rhysand, having to kill those faeries. My heart almost broke at that point.

*Overall rating:
When I read this when it first came out last year I rated it 4.5 stars, but now I'm giving it 3.5 stars, because this time around Feyre got even more on my nerves at times. I also felt like some things didn't add up: Feyre is illiterate - she only knows her letters - but Maas sometimes uses words that I think Feyre would never use or think of.


I have to admit I wasn't expecting the steamy scenes. I didn't mind them, I just found them unexpected and rather explicit for a YA book. I only recently found out that ACOTAR is sometimes categorised as NA, so beware of that.
Have you read ACOTAR? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Saturday 3 September 2016

Try a chapter tag #1.

Hi booklovers

After finishing Krista and Becca Ritchie's amazing book 'Long Way Down' I had absolutely no idea of what to pick up next. A while ago I saw the 'Try a chapter' tag on Squibblesreads' YouTube-channel. This tag was originally created by Bookparadise.

For this tag you don't answer questions, you just take a number of books you feel like reading and you read the first chapter. After that you decide which book to pick up, based on how much you liked the first chapter.

These were the books I felt like picking up, so I read their first chapters. With the exception of The Shock of the Fall, which was a library book, all the books in this pile have been on my TBR since last year.

I'm going to list the books ranging from 'don't feel like reading' to 'this is the one I'll be reading first'.

This book is loved by many people, but I just couldn't get into it. I know the book starts with the main character being about 9 years old, but the pacing felt so rushed and weird to me. I even read on a bit to see if it would improve, but for me it didn't. So I decided to return it to the library, because I don't think it's a book for me.

It's not that I didn't enjoy the part of the first chapter I read, I think I just wasn't in the mood for it. I only read part of the first chapter because it turned out to be rather long. This is one of the books I want to read before the end of the year and I really do plan on picking it up, just not right now.

This one couldn't quite hold my intrest just yet, although I have to say I will move it up my TBR and hopefully read it this year.

I found this to be rather intriguing, but not quite intriguing enough for now. But like 'A Thousand Pieces of You' I'm moving this up my TBR :-)

After reading the graphic novel of Vampire Academy, I really felt like diving back into this world and this first chapter really grabbed my attention from the start. The reason I didn't pick it up, though, is that there are 6 books in this series and I only have the first one. If I really like it, I will want to pick up the next ones and I'm trying to limit my bookbuying at the moment. But I'm sure I will pick this up very soon anyway :-)

I know I said I didn't pick up Bloodlines because it's part of series and this book is part of a trilogy, but 'having' to buy two books is better than buying five, isn't it? Truth be told, this book grabbed my attention from the first lines, so that's why I decided to continue with it. I just don't know how I'll deal with not being able to continue with the rest of the series straight away :-s
As I'm writing this post, I'm already 154 pages in. I'm really enjoying the story and I can't wait to see what comes next (the story has just taken a turn and things are going down!)

I really liked picking my next read by reading the first chapter of these books and I think I will be using this method again in the future :-)

How do you decide what to read next? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Friday 2 September 2016

August 2016 Wrap-up.

Hi booklovers

School has started again, so I'm hoping to keep up my blogging regularly, fingers crossed.

Another month gone by, another wrap-up.

I read six books in August and a few of those books were huge, so yay for me :-)

I enjoyed this second book way more than ACOTAR. There were some points in the story that made me roll my eyes, but I still really liked it. Review to come.
After finishing ACOMAF I was suffering from a mild book hangover, so that's why I decided to pick this up. It was a great way to revisit the VA world. But having read the 'original' book, I missed some of the details. I did, however, enjoy the drawings very much (hmmm, Dimitri).
I finished listening to this and I'm still really enjoying the series and I will definitely continue with it in the future.
This was the first time I've read anything by either authors and I have to say that once I got used to the format, I totally loved it. I even pre-ordered the special Gemina box from theyachronicles.com.au and I can't to get it in the mail :-) I'm going to write a full review.
Actually 4.75 stars

I really enjoyed this book, although it has some flaws, but it was still a pretty good debut novel. Again, review to come. (I'm so behind on reviewing books.)
Actually 3.75 stars
This book was sooooo good. Krista & Becca Ritchie never cease to amaze me with their writing. I have one book left in this series, but I'm scared to pick it up, because I think I'm going to suffer from a major book hangover and I don't want the story to end just yet.
Which books did you read in August? Have you read any of the books I've read? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies