Series I want to continue/finish in the upcoming months - Update.

Hi booklovers

A couple of months ago I did a post about the trilogies/series I wanted to continue/finish in the upcoming months.

Let's take a look at that list:

1) Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Since doing the post I reread the first two books in this trilogy so that I could read the third book.

*Snow Like Ashes - 4 stars (I actually lowered my original rating from 4.5 stars)

*Ice Like Fire - 3 stars (Again, I lowered my original rating from 4.5 stars) I had such a hard time to finish this book, but I wanted to push through because I wanted to read the third book.

*Frost Like Night - 4 stars. I found this to be a good conclusion to the trilogy.

I'm glad I finished this trilogy and overall I did really enjoy it - despite not liking the second book all that much.

2) Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

When writing the original post I was going to reread the first three books in the series and then continue with the other books. I would have finished this series, because I had pre-ordered the final book from bookdepository and it was set to be released at the beginning of December. However, the release date was pushed back (or it was listed incorrectly on bookdepository, I don't really know). I got the book last week and I plan on reading it very soon.

*Falling Kingdoms - 4 stars

*Rebel Spring - 4 stars

*Gathering Darkness - 4.5 stars

*Frozen Tides - 4.5 stars

*Crystal Storm - 4.5 stars

I'm enjoying the series very much (even though Cleo and Magnus annoyed the hell out of me sometimes) and I can't wait to read Immortal Reign.

3) The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johanssen

I haven't reread the first book but I would like to do that this year and hopefully finish the trilogy.

4) Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I reread the first book in February of 2017, but I haven't continued on with the series. Maybe I will this year, since the final book is coming out later this year.

 

 

 

5) The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

I've read two books of the original trilogy and hopefully I will read the third one next month or in April.

*The Final Empire - 5 stars (reread)

*The Well of Ascension - 5 stars. 

I absolutely love these books they are so detailed and the magic system is very unique.

At the beginning of the year I started a new series because of the buddyread for the Of Wonderland bookclub on Goodreads and that is:

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

I've only read The Raven Boys and I wasn't overwhelmed by it (3.5 stars), but I am going to continue the series because I was intrigued by the premise. I don't own the other books yet, though.

There is one trilogy I apparently didn't include in my original post and I have no idea why because I really enjoyed the first book and I definitely want to continue with the trilogy.

The Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb

Have you read any of these? What did you think of them? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Book hauls revisited - January 2016 | 2017

Hi booklovers

Today, I thought I'd take a look at my past book hauls and see which books I've already read and which are still on my TBR. I got this idea from Noveltea Corner on BookTube.

I started keeping track of the books I buy in 2016, so I'll be revisting my January 2016 and 2017 book hauls. 

January 2016

*Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop (I only realised that this was the second book in the 'The Others' series after I had bought it).

*Saga volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples.

*The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson.

January 2017

*Caraval by Stephanie Garber (Fairyloot).

I'm happy to be able to say that I've since read all of these books/graphic novel. I can assure you, it won't stay that way :-D

Do you keep track of the books you buy? Are you good at reading them (fairly) quickly after buying them? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Anticipated releases - February 2018.

Hi booklovers

Another month, another list of anticipated releases.

I'm still on my bookbuying ban, but there is one book on this list that I pre-ordered because bookdepository first said it was going to be released in December 2017, but it got pushed back to February.

February

6th: Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes
books 6 in the Falling Kingdoms series

As two lethal elemental gods set out to destroy Mytica, sworn enemies must become allies in the final fight to save the kingdoms.

Jonas continues to willfully defy his destiny, but the consequences of plotting his own course are drastic. As the fight for Mytica rages on, he must decide just how much more he's willing to sacrifice.

Lucia knows there's something special about her daughter and she'll do anything to protect her, even if that means facing Kyan alone.

Amara is called back home to Kraeshia. Grandma Cortas has her own plans for Mytica's future. She promises Amara power, revenge, and dominance if she agrees to be part of her scheme.

Magnus and Cleo's love will be put to the ultimate test. Dark magic is causing widespread destruction throughout the kingdom. Enemies across the sea are advancing. And unrest is stirring throughout the land. Is their love strong enough to withstand the outside forces tearing them apart?

6th: Tempests and the slaughter by Tamora Pierce

Arram. Varice. Ozorne. In the first book in the Numair Chronicles, three student mages are bound by fate . . . fated for trouble.

Arram Draper is a boy on the path to becoming one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness–and for attracting danger. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram begins to realize that one day soon he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.

In the Numair Chronicles, readers will be rewarded with the never-before-told story of how Numair Salmalín came to Tortall. Newcomers will discover an unforgettable fantasy adventure where a kingdom’s future rests on the shoulders of a talented young man with a knack for making vicious enemies.

 

6th: The Queen's rising by Rebecca Ross

When her seventeenth summer solstice arrives, Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron.

Growing up in the southern Kingdom of Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her for such a life. While some are born with an innate talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she belatedly chose to study knowledge. However, despite all her preparations, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—the solstice does not go according to plan and she is left without a patron.

Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, and with no other choices, she accepts. But there is much more to his story, and Brienna soon discovers that he has sought her out for his own vengeful gain. For there is a dangerous plot being planned to overthrow the king of Maevana—the archrival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes.

With war brewing between the two lands, Brienna must choose whose side she will remain loyal to—passion or blood. Because a queen is destined to rise and lead the battle to reclaim the crown. The ultimate decision Brienna must determine is: Who will be that queen?

6th: By a charm and a curse by Jamie Questell

Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic isn’t like other traveling circuses. It’s bound by a charm, held together by a centuries-old curse, that protects its members from ever growing older or getting hurt. Emmaline King is drawn to the circus like a moth to a flame…and unwittingly recruited into its folds by a mysterious teen boy whose kiss is as cold as ice.

Forced to travel through Texas as the new Girl in the Box, Emmaline is completely trapped. Breaking the curse seems like her only chance at freedom, but with no curse, there’s no charm, either—dooming everyone who calls the Carnival Fantastic home. Including the boy she’s afraid she’s falling for.

Everything—including his life—could end with just one kiss.

13th: Honor among thieves by Rachel Caine

Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that’s made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t much better than a prison cell.

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan—a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.

20th: Ink, Iron and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare

Can she write a world gone wrong?

A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation by her mother—a noted scriptologist.

But when her home is attacked and her mother abducted, Elsa must cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative 19th-century Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of pazzerellones—young people with a gift for mechanics, alchemy or scriptology—and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and a tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.

 27th: Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive.

What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves?

27th: The Traitor's game by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Nothing is as it seems in the kingdom of Antora. Kestra Dallisor has spent three years in exile in the Lava Fields, but that won't stop her from being drawn back into her father's palace politics. He's the right hand man of the cruel king, Lord Endrick, which makes Kestra a valuable bargaining chip. A group of rebels knows this all too well -- and they snatch Kestra from her carriage as she reluctantly travels home.The kidnappers want her to retrieve the lost Olden Blade, the only object that can destroy the immortal king, but Kestra is not the obedient captive they expected. Simon, one of her kidnappers, will have his hands full as Kestra tries to foil their plot, by force, cunning, or any means necessary. As motives shift and secrets emerge, both will have to decide what -- and who -- it is they're fighting for.

I'm still on the bookbuying ban, so I'm not sure which of these I might buy/order. Like I said at the beginning, there was one book I pre-ordered and that was Immortal Reign. It arrived on Friday and I'm going to pick it up very soon. Hopefully I'll enjoy this conclusion to the series.

Are there any books on this list you are excited about or are there others you're excited for? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

January 2018 wrap-up.

Hi booklovers

Since it's already the second day of February it's time to post my reading wrap-up for January.

In January I managed to read 4 books (3 physical books and 1 audiobook) and 1 graphic novel. I'm very happy with my reading. I have to admit, listening to audiobooks has really helped speed up my reading. I'm not as intimidated by big book as I used to be (although they still take me a while to get through, but I'm okay with that).

Anyhow, let's get into the wrap-up: 

1) The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. 

I read this book for the Of Wonderland bookclub on Goodreads. The theme for January was 'hyped books'. There was also a new feature for the group: buddy reads. So I buddy read this book with a bunch of other members and I really enjoyed discussing the book. However, I had a hard time getting into the book, so I ended up giving it 3.5 stars. I am intrigued to know what happens next, so I am going to continue with the series. I've written a spoiler-free review which you can find here. 

2) The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson.

This was my second buddy read for the OW bookclub. This is a reread because I read it for the first time in April 2017. This was just as good as the first time I read it (5 stars). I want to continue with the trilogy (series) so I wanted to reread this one. I love this book, it has such a unique magic system. The world building and character development are just fantastic. I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook and that was a great experience. I really enjoy the voice of the narrator, he does a wonderful job. I still need to write my review of it. Hopefully, I'll be able to put it up soon.

3) Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire.

I listened to this novella on audio and I really enjoyed it even though it is a novella. Normally I'm left wanting, but that wasn't the case here. This is a very intriguing book about young people that went to a 'fairytale' land and came back and now they have to deal with everything they went through. I gave it 4.5 stars and I definitely want to continue with the companion books. Again, review to come.

4) Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

This was the third time I read it and it was also a buddy read for the OW bookclub. Obsidio is coming out in March, so a couple of members of the bookclub wanted to (re)read this book and Gemina to be prepared for the final book. I loved it (5 stars). As with The Final Empire I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook. The cast of voices really adds to the listening experience. And you guessed it, three is a charm: review to come.

5) The Boys volume 2: Get some by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson.

This is so weird and twisted and I really enjoyed it even though I found it a bit confusing at times. I gave it 4 stars.

How was your reading month? Did you enjoy the books you read? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies