Friday 23 June 2017

2017 TBR Books Shame Tag - update

Hi booklovers

Since we are almost at the end of June, I thought I'd give you an update on how I'm doing with making a dent in my TBR.

Currently reading
Read
Added in 2017


TBR list - physical books:

*Renee Ahdieh - The Wrath and the Dawn

*Josephine Angelini -Trial By Fire

*Brodi Ashton - Everneath
                       Everbound

*Jane Austen - Emma
                      Mansfield Park
                      Persuasion
                      Pride and Prejudice
                      Sense and Sensibility

*Anne Bishop - Written in Red
                       Murder of Crows

*Malorie Blackman - Noughts & crosses

*Alexandra Bracken - The Darkest Minds
                                Passenger

*Anne Brontë - The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

*Emily Brontë - Wuthering Heights

*Charlotte Brontë - Jane Eyre

*Terry Brooks - Het Zwaard van Shannara
                       Het Wenslied van Shannara
                       De Elfenstenen van Shannara
                       De Nazaten van Shannara
                       De Druide van Shannara
                       De Elfenkoningin van Shannara
                       De Wakers van Shannara
                       De Eerste Koning van Shannara
                       De heks van Shannara
                       Antrax (English)
                       De Schaduw van Shannara
                       Jarka Ruus
                       Tanequil
                       Straken (English)
                       Dragers van de zwarte staf 
                       De Elfen van Cintra
                       Vluchtelingen van Shannara

*Trudi Canavan - The Magician's Apprentice
                          Priestess of the White
                          Last of the Wilds
                          Voice of the Gods

*Cora Carmack - Roar
*Blake Charlton - Spellwright

*Cassandra Clare - City of Lost Souls
                            City of Heavenly Fire
                           
                            Clockwork Prince
                            Clockwork Princess

*Susanna Clarke - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

*Jenny Colgan - Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe

*Susan Denard - Something strange and deadly

*Charles Dickens - David Copperfield
                            Nicholas Nickleby
                            The Old Curiosity shop

*Anne Easter Smith - Daughter of York

*Stephanie Garber - Caraval

*Elisabeth Gaskell - Cranford
                              Return to Cranford

*Sophie Gee - The Scandal of the Season

*Alison Goodman - Eon
                            Eona

*Seth Graham-Smith - Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
                                  The Last American Vampire

*Claudia Gray -A Thousand Pieces of You
                       Ten Thousand Skies Above You (added in 2017)
                       A Million Worlds With You (added in 2017)

*John Green - Let it snow

*Philippa Gregory - The Kingmaker's Daughter
                             The White Princess
          
                             The Other Queen
          
                             Wideacre
                             The Favoured child
                             Meridon
          
                             Changeling

*John Gwynne - Malice

* Alwyn Hamilton - Rebel of the Sands

*Bernhard Hennen - De elfen
                              Elfenlicht

* Wendy Higgins - The Great Hunt

*Robin Hobb - Royal Assassin

*A.G. Howard - Unhinged
                       Ensnared

*An Janssens - Drakentovenaar

*Erika Johansen - The Invasion of the Tearling
                           The Fate of the Tearling

*Robert Jordan - The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time
                         The Shadow Rising
                         The Fires of Heaven
                         Lords of Chaos
                         A Crown of Swords
                         The Path of Daggers
                         Winter's Heart
                         Crossroads of Twilight
                         Knife of Dreams
                         The Gathering Storm
                         Towers of Midnight
                         A Memory of Light

*Sophie Jordan - Firelight

*Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff - Gemina

*Kody Keplinger - The DUFF

*Robert J. King - Artifacts Cycle I: The Thram & The brother's War

*Kristian Giles - Raven Blood Eye

*Stephanie Laurens - The Lady Risks all

*Mark Lawrence - Prince of Thorns

*Theo Lawrence - Mystic City

*Scott Lynch - The Lies of Locke Lamore

*J. Lynn - Wait For You

*Sarah J. Maas - Queen of Shadows
                      - Empire of Storms

                      - A Court of Wings and Ruin (added in 2017)

*Gail Z. Martin - Sworn

*George R.R. Martin - A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow
                                A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold
                                A Feast for Crows
                                A Dance with Dragons
                                De ijsdraak

*Taran Matharu - The Novice

*Morgan Matson - The Unexpected Everything

*Louise May Alcott - Little Women & Good Wives

*Marissa Meyer - Winter
                          Stars Above
                          Heartless

*Richelle Mead - Bloodlines

*Jennifer Niven - All the bright places

*Garth Nix - Clariel (Eng)

*Christopher Paoline - Brisingr
                                 Inheritance

*Alexey Pehov - Shadow Prowler

*Stephanie Perkins - My true love gave to me (I've read some of the stories)

*Jodie Picoult and Samantha Van Leer - Between the lines

*Sara Porter - Vasa in the Night

*Terry Pratchett - The Colour of Magic

*Sara Raasch - Frost Like Night

*Laura Resnick - A Planeswalker Novel: The Purifying Fire

*Morgan Rodes - Frozen Tides

*Patrick Rothfuss - The Name of the Wind

*Rainbow Roweell - Attachements

*J.K. Rowling - The Tales of Beedle the Bard

*Angie Sage - Magyk

*Brandon Sanderson - The Final Empire
                                 The Well of Ascension
                                 The Hero of Ages

*Andrezj Sapkowski - De Laatste Wens
                                Het zwaard van het lot

*F. Scott Fitzgeral - De Grote Gatsby

*Victoria Scott - Fire & Flood

*Samantha Shannon - The Bone Season

*Neal Shusterman - Scythe

*Evelyn Skye - The Crown's Game

*Megan Spooner and Amie Kaufman - These Broken Stars

*Maggie Stiefvater - The Raven Boys

*Matthew Sturges - Midwinter
                             The Office of Shadow

*Michael J. Sullivan - The Crown Tower

*Laini Taylor - Daughter of Smoke And Bone
                   - Strange the Dreamer

*J.R.R. Tolkien - The Two Towers
                         The Return of the King
                         The Silmarillion
                         The Unfinished Tales

*Brent Weeks - The Way of Shadows

*Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman -
                                                  Draken van de herfstschemer
                                                  Draken van de winternacht
                                                  Draken van de lentedooi
                                                
                                                  Het tijdperk van de tweeling
                                                  De strijd van de tweeling
                                                  De Beproeving van de tweeling
                 
                                                  Bones of the Dragon
                                                  Secrets of the Dragon
                                                  De Furie van de Draak
                 
                                                 Dragons of the Dwarven Depths
                                                 Dragons of the Highlord Skies
                 
                                                  Wachters van de leegte
                                                  Reis voorbij het einde
                 
                                                  Vuurzee
                                                  Toverslang
                                                  Chaosschepper
                                                  Dwaalwegen
                                                  Meesterpoort
                 
                                              De schepping van het doodszwaard
                                              De doem van het dooszwaard
                                              De triomf van het doodszwaard
                                              De erfenis van het doodszwaard

*Tad Williams - De Drakentroon
                       De Steen des Afscheids
                       De Groene Engeltoren: De Belegering
                       De Groene Engeltoren: Het Ontzet

In January I had 170 unread physical books on my shelves. Since then I've bought 10 new physical books and I've read 8, so all in all, I'm not doing great in making a dent in my TBR, but I have picked up books that I've had on my TBR for a while.

I haven't included my e-books in this list, but I've been reading a lot of review e-books these past couple of months, which is really cool.

I'm curious to see how many books I'll be able to cross out from this list by the end of December :-) (and how many more I'll have added by then :-s )

Bye for now

Annelies

Saturday 17 June 2017

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

Hi booklovers

I have only two weeks of the schoolyear left, so I almost have a lot more time to read on my hand. I've been going over my TBR books and I decided there are a couple of series I would like to continue/finish in the upcoming months.

Note: these aren't the only unfinished series on my shelves, but these are the ones that I want to get to soon.

1) Snow Like Ashes - Sara Raasch
*Snow Like Ashes (reread)
*Ice Like Fire (reread)
2) Falling Kingdoms - Morgan Rhodes
*Falling Kingdoms (reread)
*Rebel Spring (reread)
*Crystal Storm (I don't have this yet)
*Immortal Reign (this hasn't been released yet)
3) The Queen of the Tearling - Erika Johansen
4) Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas
*Throne of Glass (I've reread this a couple of months ago)
*Crown of Midnight (reread)
*Heir of Fire (reread)
5) Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson
*The Hero of Ages
The next three I don't own yet. I think they are spin-off books
*The Alloy of Law
*Shadows of Self 
*The Bands of Mourning
Have you read any of these series? Which ones should I get to first? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies 

Saturday 10 June 2017

March - April - May wrap-up

Hi booklovers

Since we're already 10 days into June, I think it's high time to post my combined March, April and May wrap-up.
During these three months I was able to read 20 books (including graphic novels and audiobooks).

March
*The One by Kiera Cass - 3.5 stars. I read The Selection and The Elite last year and I saw that they had the third one in my local library, so I borrowed it. Like the first two, this was a quick and fun read, but nothing mind-blowing.

*Y - The Last Man - Unmanned (Vol. 1) by Brian K. Vaughan - 4 stars. A colleague of mine collects graphic novels and he lent me a few. I had heard a lot of positive things about Y - the last man and I really wanted to try it out. I ended up really enjoying it and I will definitely be continuing with the series.

*Transmetropolitan - Back on the street (Vol.1) by Warren Ellis - 4 stars. This was the second GN my colleague lent me. This was all kinds of weird, but I really enjoyed it. Another series I'm going to continue reading.

*Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (audiobook) by J.K. Rowling/Newt Scamander - 5 stars. The fact that this book is narrated by Eddie Redmayne (Newt) himself made this an even better experience.The animal sounds were so realistic I thought something was behind me a couple of times :-D

*The Boys - The Name of the Game (Vol.1) by Garth Ennis - 4.5 stars. Forget everything you think you know about superheroes when you read this graphic novel. This was so hillarious and I will definitely be continuing with the series.
You can find my spoiler-free mini-reviews of the three GN here.

*Winter by Marissa Meyer - 4.75 stars. A very solid conclusion to the series. You can find my (mostly) spoiler-free review here.

*Saga volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan - 3.75 stars. This was a bit of a disappointment but I did continue with the series.

April
*The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh - 3.75 stars. If it wasn't for the last 40 pages, this would have been a 2.75 stars read. I didn't really feel connected with the characters. Because of those last pages, however, I am going to read the second book.

*Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (reread - audiobook) 5 stars. After hearing a ton of people rave about the audiobooks of Illuminae and Gemina, I thought I'd give it a try. I wouldn't recommend listening to it when you're reading this for the first time, because you'll miss out on the wonderful format, but it's ideal for a reread. I know I'll be listening to this again in the future. 

*Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff - 5 stars. I hardly ever marathon series anymore, but I needed to move straight onto book two after finishing my reread of Illuminae. This was equally as good as Illuminae. I'm also definitely planning on getting the audiobook, so I can have that experience as well. And no, I don't like the fact that we have to wait a year for the conclusion to this trilogy :-(

*Air and Ash by Alex Lidell - 4 stars. I was kindly sent this e-book in exchange for an honest review. This was a very refreshing read. You can find my spoiler-free review here.

*Saga volume 5 by  Brian K. Vaughan - 4 stars. Still not as good as the first three, but slightly better than volume 4.

May
*The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson - 5 stars. After having a couple of people on IG telling me I needed to pick up a Brandon Sanderson book, I thought it was finally time to read The Final Empire. I was very impressed by this book and I definitely want to continue with the series.

*Saga volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan - 4.5 stars. Finally, this was back up to the standards of the first three volumes. Now I only need to get my hands on volume 7.

*A Court of Mist and Fury (reread) by Sarah J. Maas - 4.75 stars. In preparation of the release of ACOWAR I wanted to reread this one. I didn't reread ACOTAR, because after my reread last year I discovered that Feyre really got on my nerves in that book. I thoroughly enjoyed my reread - the book definitely has its flaws (and no, I'm most definitely not referring to the lack of diversity or the poor representation of some of the 'diverse' characters) but I still enjoyed it very much (although it didn't give me a bookhangover like the first time I read it). You can find my review here.  

*Alex + Ada volume 1 by Sarah Vaughn - 5 stars. This was an extremely good graphic novel.

*A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas - 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book and it has made me very curious to see whose storyline we'll be getting in the spin-offs. However, it does again have its flaws (again, not talking about diversity).

*Deep Surrendering: part 1 by Chelsea M. Cameron - 3 stars. I've had this on my e-reader for over a year and because I wanted something light and fun after ACOWAR I thought I'd give it a go. I got this for free from the Kobo website and I'm very glad I didn't pay for it, because this was weird. I don't really know what to say about it, but the 'domination' aspect of the story is not my cup of tea.

*Deep Surrendering: part 2 by Chelsea M. Cameron - 3 stars. This one was free on Amazon so I thought I'd give this another chance. My opinion, however, remains unchanged. I'm not sure about the 'domination' part. I probably won't be continuing the series.

*Fables Volume 3 by Bill Willingham - 3.5 stars. The ending ruined it for me. I'm not sure if I'll be continuing with this series.
All in all, these past three months were pretty good reading months.
What did you read in the past couple of months? Have you read any of the same books I read? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Wednesday 7 June 2017

Fairyloot #3 - May 2017

Hi booklovers

Today I bring you my May Fairyloot unboxing. The theme for May was Warriors & Legends.


 As usual, we get a stunning info card
Since last month Fairyloot has started including a bookmark
based on the design on the info card
An exclusive tea by The Tea Leaf Co. 
Personally, I'm not a big fan of this particular tea, 
but my boyfriend likes it :-)
 World Mythology in bite-sized chuncks, this looks
like so much fun
 A candle from In the Wick of Time, I got Mist.
The other candle was called Flame.
Celtic socks
 A Lord of the Rings wooden bookmark by Ink and Wonder
 Metallic feather pen by Flora's Wonder Emporium
Bonus item: a chapter sampler
The book: Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh
Some bookswag
Full unboxing

This was a great box and I can't wait for this month's box. June theme is Elementalists.
 
Bye for now
 
Annelies