May Wrap up.

After reading only 3 books I April and being in a reading slump, May got me back on track and I managed to read 7 books and two of them got 5 stars, one of those 5 star reads being the one that cured me of the reading slump I have been in since the beginning of April. Here are my (spoiler free) thoughts about my May reads:

Sorcery of Thorns 3,5/5

I wasn’t sure if I liked this one or not, but I really enjoyed the end, so I guess it was ok. I think the reason I wasn’t sure about this one was because of my reading slump. I mean the book had cats and books, what more do you want from a story, also I really liked the idea of the story… Maybe I will re-read it sometime and see if I can enjoy it more when I’m not on a reading slump.

Shatter Me 3,5/5

I had a hard time with this one in the beginning of the book. Not sure if it was the writing style or the story that made it hard for me to get into the book. It might also have been the reading slump thing again. Or a combination of all of those things? I mean it wasn’t bad, I just kind of expected more of it, considering everything I have heard about it before. I loved the end though and it made me want to continue with the series.

Illuminae 5/5

The book that got me out of my reading slump for real. I wanted to read something different than I usually would and I got what I asked for. I couldn’t put this one down and went to work like a zombie after staying up way to late to finish the book. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, and it took some time to get into the story telling style of this book, but once I got into it I was hooked. I had hears so much good about this book before I picked it up, but I still wasn’t prepared for how much I ended up loving it. I read this one as an e-book, and that was fine, but this is one of those books that was meant to be enjoyed as a physical book. So before I will go on with this series I will have to buy the physical books. Also I will have to buy Illuminae twice as I will definitely give one copy to my brother! Lets just summarize this to I LOVED THIS BOOK.

Sweet Filthy Boy 3,5/5

My first Christina Lauren book and I’m not sure what to think. I went from not caring to loving to not caring to loving the story… Not sure if it was me or the story. There were some parts that I dislike with stories like this that were actually done right here, which I loved so much, but then there were some parts that were just like every other not-all-that-good romance stories and I was somewhat disappointed with that. I got this series recommended to me when I mentioned to never have read a Christina Lauren book. Not sure if I will continue with this series or if I will pick up some other Christina Lauren book, because so many people love their work, and I think the books sound like ones I would enjoy.

Unravel Me 4/5

This was so much more entertaining than Shatter Me. I was much more invested in the characters and the story. Was it just me or was there more action in this one. Not sure about the romance in both this and Shatter Me. It feels somewhat OTT at times, but that might be my mood? I was hoping this one would finally help me understand the OTP of this series, but I’m still not convinced so I’m really curious about book 3

Soldiers 3,5/5

Another example of my don’t care for the beginning, enjoying the end theme this month. Might be due to the fact that it has been a while since I read the first and second book in this series, so it took some time to get back into the story. Not sure if I was to generous with 3,5 stars though. I have mixed feelings about this one… I will continue with the series soon though so I don’t end up having the same not remember anything problem with the next one.

Queen of Air and Darkness 5/5

Okay so this has been sitting on my bookshelf since it came out and I finally read it. Or rather listened to the Audiobook. I don’t know why, but I have a hard time reading Cassandra Clares books even though I love them. I think it might be that the chapters are so long, but it might also be the size of this book. Its heavy and big and I don’t know. The Audiobook was just easier. Regardless of how I read or listened to the story, I loved it! I loved the whole trilogy. In the first book I didn’t care much for half the characters, in the second they grew on my, and in this final book, I was so invested in everyones story, that my headphones where as good as glued to my ears for some time there…. I love how diverse Cassis characters are, I don’t think I have had that much diversity in any other book I have read so far. One thing that left me hanging a bit was how my personal OTP did not end up together (is that still a OTP if they aren’t actually together?) I have not read the synopsis for Chain of Gold, but I have the book on my shelf so I’m really tempted to pick it up and see if my OTP makes an appearance in the next series, but the next month I want to try to finish some of the series I have started reading, because I have started a lot recently but never had time to finish those series.

Now I’m going back to reading Supernova and finish my first series in June.

Bye for now 😘

Review: Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices 2) by Cassandra Clare

I have read Lady Midnight a while ago and enjoyed it a lot, however I put the series on hold at the time, and apparently that was for a good reason.

I struggled quite a bit with Lord of Shadow, which is strange considering I really enjoyed it. It was just that I never felt like I got somewhere while reading, because I only ever had an hour or less, I could sit down and read. Most of the chapters were so long I only managed to read one at a time (I’m not sure if I ever read more than 1½ chapters at a time).

Well I guess it’s more my fault then the books though because after starting it I remember I put it aside to read at a time where I didn’t have so much else going on and therefore could read for longer periods of time at once.

Ah well moving on to the story. Also a small spoiler warning 😉

I have to say that I sometimes have a problem with books that are written in multiple POV, because I tend to have my “favorite” character or characters I want to follow and often prefer books with one or two POVs. This was so not the case for Lord of Shadows! I was actually interested in all the characters and what they did! I kind of didn’t know what to think of Christina in the first book and thought that maybe I wouldn’t like following her character around in this book either, but boy was I wrong about that… Her relationship with Mark and Kieran is kind of strange and I need to know what’s going on with them and who she ends up with, or is it going to be Mark and Kieran? Talk about a real love triangle!

And then we have Kit and Ty who are just the cutest! ❤ (not that they seem to realise that yet but everything else than them ending up together would be a crime).

Then we have the ending… OMG am I happy that I have the next book waiting for me. How do people manage to read a book like that and then wait for the author to write the next book? I might have made the mistake and started reading the last chapter quite late, so I was done a little after midnight. Forget about sleep after an ending like that! the minor book hangover I got after this book at least meant I didn’t bring a book to read on the bus on my way to work the morning after so I could catch up on some sleep then instead…

⭐⭐⭐⭐

All in all, I give the book 4 stars. (For now, because the only reason it doesn’t get 5 stars is that I had such a hard time to get through it, and that’s not how it is supposed to be)

Bye for now 🙂

Review: Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas (Throne of Glass 7)

This book left me with a huge book hangover to deal with (which also is the reason why this review is coming up 1½ weeks after i finished the book).

The good thing about that is, it means i liked the book. But it also means that things happened that i didn’t want to happen…

There where a few chapters where the character/storyline we followed changed, that kind of frustrated me somewhat, because I was mostly interested in the main storyline. I mean I appreciate to get multiple stories in one and getting to see things from different POV, but I prefer to focus on one storyline. Maybe that is because I usually read books with only one storyline, so that is just what I’m used to, but throughout this whole series I found it hard to not get frustrated when the story got cut right when things happened and you really wanted to continue reading, just to jump to some kind of boring chapter with another character.

Overall I would say that I loved the series, but if I am going to reread it I sure will skip a chapter here and there.

I’m also really curious about Sarah J Maas new book that will come out in march 2020 and will go ahead and preorder it, because I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐

Tips on how to get over a book hangover are appreciated 😉

Bye for now 🙂

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

So I heard about this on Youtube and thought it sounded fun so here it comes:

Best book you’ve read so far in 2019
Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019
New release you haven’t read yet, but want to
Most anticipated release for the second half of the year
Biggest disappointment
Biggest surprise
Favorite new author (debut or new to you)
Newest fictional crush
Newest favorite character
Book that made you cry
Book that made you happy
Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)
What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
Favorite book community member

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2019

A Court of Mist and Fury

This was a really early read for me. The second book of the year (I started with A Court of Thorns and Roses) and I got lost in this book, in this world, in the characters…. I just loved it!

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019

Crown of Midnight

Well it would be awfully boring to pick the same book again, so I’m going with book two in another series… by the same author…

I did really enjoy Crown of Midnight and it is my favorite in this series. I think… maybe… Well I kind of loved Empire of Storms as well… I don’t know which book to pick, also I haven’t finished this series yet, I still have parts of Tower of Dawn and Kingdom of Ash left… Anyways, Crown of Midnight was a lot of fun to read 🙂

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

House of Salt and Sorrow – I see this one everywhere, so I kind of want to read it now, but I have no Idea what it is about… I think it’s fantasy?

The Bride Test – I read The Kiss Quotient earlier this year and loved it! So what did I do? I ordered The Bride test almost two weeks ago. And I still haven’t received it yet…

Wilder Girls – Cover looks awesome, Book sounds awesome of course I want to read it…

Red, White & Royal Blue – A romantic comedy that everyone seems to be reading and it seems like everyone likes it as well?!

Daisy Jones & the Six – Also one of the books everyone has been reading, and even though I have heard mixed things about this, most people seem to like it.

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

Supernova – Book 3 in the Renegades series

So my most anticipated releases are actually in the beginning of next year (House of Earth and Blood & Chain of Gold), bute here are some books I look forward to this year…

The Starless Sea – This just sounds awesome, so yea, want to read!!!

The Ninth House – Well I only have read (or listened to?) Six of Crows so far, loved it and that’s where I am now. I am really interested in reading more Leigh Bardugo, because even though I only have read one book by her, I really want more!

Supernova – I bought the first two books of this series recently and even though I haven’t read them yet, I look forward to hopefully be able to do that this year.

The Queen of Nothing – Again book 3 of a series, i haven’t even started yet, and even though I have heard mixed things about the series, I can totally see myself loving it, so I want to read all three book like now….

5. Biggest disappointment

Shiver
&
The Book Thief

Both of these are on hold for now.

The Book Thief might be a good book, but I started it for a challenge and just keep zoning out of this one all the time… I’m sure this book is a good book (or at least that’s what everyone tells me), but at the moment I’m not going to continue reading it…

Regarding Shiver I’m not quite sure what to think and what to do. Pause, DNF… just finish the book already? Ahhhh….

6. Biggest surprise

Britt-Marie was here

Not my typical choice of books, but I picked up the audiobook at a thrift store and since everyone at work seems to have read this book I had to too. And damn did I laugh. And then cry… I have to admit that the swedish narrator for this book was awesome and is a big reason why I loved this so much.

7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

Sarah J. Maas
&
Helen Hoang

Sarah J Maas – So last year I hadn’t read a single book by Sarah J Maas yet, now I’m almost done with all of them, so this was/is my Sarah J Maas year! I just love here characters and worlds and i totally disappear into her books, so definitely a new favorite.

Helen Hoang – I soooo loved the Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. Not what I expectet, but so cute! I just want to read the Bride Test now!

8. Newest fictional crush

Cole
Rysand
Julian

Cole (The Darkest Minds) – I don’t even know why… just Cole and Ruby… I had so much fun with them… And I’m not sure that I will forgive Alexandra Bracken for In the Afterlight…. Ever….

Rhysand (A Court of Thorns and Roses) – Who did not crush on Rhys in a Court of Mist and Fury? Is that even a possibility?

Julian (The Dark Artifices) – well I only have read Lady Midnight for now but I’m sure I will crush on him throughout the whole series… I know myself…

9. Newest favorite character

A Court of Thorns and Roses

We are talking about multiple characters right? Thats just an typo and the s is missing? Well the inner circle of the court of dreams is the answer! I had such a great time reading about them and there is no way to pick just one of them.

10. Book that made you cry

Britt-Marie was here

So I laughed, had an awesome time and then… Didn’t see that one coming…
I’m currently listening to A man called Ove by Fredrik Backman and have a feeling that there will be some tears involved in the end, but you get a feeling for that way sooner than in Britt-Marie was here.

11. Book that made you happy

Wow, how can this be the hardest question? I honestly don’t know….
Like all of them? Thats why I read. I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t make me happy…

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

Divergent

I bought this book (the one in the middle) for no other reason than it’s looks. I obviously had the book at home already (I think I have a hardcover in swedish as well, which makes it 4 copies of the same book) so there was no need for me to buy it. Except it was so pretty… and shiny…. And shimery…. and rainbowy….

13.What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Lord of Shadows
&
Queen of Air and Darkness

Kingdom of Ash – the only one left in the series.

Lord of Shadows & Queen of Air and Darkness – I read Lady Midnight in spring and loved it, but I had so much to do I didn’t really have time to get lost in the rest of the series. But fall is coming and with it more time to get lost in books.

Renegades & Archenemies – My boyfriend saw me holding them and putting them back because “I won’t have time to read them this year”. He then baught them for me because “Then you read them next year”. Now I want to read them this year…

The Bride Test – I loved Helen Hoangs The Kiss Quotient, so I am super motivated to read the Bride Test

Strange the Dreamer & Muse of Nightmares – Laini Taylors Books have been on my TBR for way to long without me ever reading them, so I ordered these books so they can be in my bookshelf and make me feel guilty until I read them. Thats the plan. Sort of…

And so on…

14. Favorite book community member

All of them.

I just joined Bookstagram and got a lot of Welcome messages, which surprised me and made me so happy. So I don’t have a favorite member, and instead love the community as a whole because everyone I have talked to so far was nice and welcoming, I don’t know how to pick just one…

That was my late mid year book freakout

Bye for now 🙂

Review: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas (Throne of Glass 6)

I honestly don’t know how to rate this book.

It was not what I wanted and not what I expected, but it wasn’t bad…

I think after Empire of Storms with that ending, I wanted to know what happens after. If I wasn’t binge reading this series I would probably have been mad about this book, now it was somewhat OK since I knew the last book in the series was waiting on my bookshelves.

I mean having a whole book about this side story is not what I want in this situation. Maybe that was the point of the book, but I think that the important parts of the book could have been integrated in the other books? Because this book was somewhat on the slower side, and even if there is a lot of information especially in the end that seems kind of important, that could have been integrated in the other books like the side stories in earlier books. As I said, the book is not actually bad, and I like the characters and would probably have read it if it would have been book 5.5 instead of book 6 but if I reread this series, I am not sure if i wouldn’t skip this one, or just read the end?

Well now book seven is waiting for me and hopefully I will get the answers I want.

Rating 🌟🌟🌟⭐

Bye for now 🙂

Review: Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas (Throne of Glass 5)

Well, here we go!

The book I have been waiting for. Or something like that. I enjoyed this one so much more than the previous two books in the series. Things were happening, all the different stories coming together (also, in this book the side stories were so much more interesting in my opinion). Struggle to control the power, surprises left and right, characters I almost forgot about reappeared, and people falling in love! I had a really hard time putting this one down and the ending… Well I’m glad that I have the whole series in my book shelves and can continue reading right away.

Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐

Bye for now 🙂

Review: Throne of Glass 0,5 – 4 by Sarah J Maas

Binge reading a series is one of the best things I know! At least for me, people around me might have a different opinion about that, given that I totally disappear into the books and don’t have time for much else.

That is why I waited until my vacation to start reading the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas. Having underestimated my friends, the three weeks off of work, didn’t give me as much time to read as I thought, and i only made it 3 books into the series (4 if you count the novellas in The Assassins Blade). That doesn’t stop me though and I read the fourth book in the series the week after my vacation and am currently on the fifth book.

Since binge reading has the side effect of the books blending together i thought I might as well review them together. At least the books I already have read, before starting the blog.

Also SPOILER WARNING!

The Assassins Blade

(Throne of Glass 0,1-0,5)

So to start things of, I kind of didn’t want to read this book, not at first at least. I don’t even have a good reason why, I just wanted to go right to Throne of Glass. But I mean I had the book, so I might as well read it, right?

Right.

I guess I was worried, that it wouldn’t add anything to the story, but the things that happen in this book get mentioned even now in book 5 (not all of the things that happen, but some). It took me a couple of pages to get into it, and decide if i liked Celena or not, but the more I read the more I fell in love with her. There are still some things that bother me with her, but hey nobody is perfect, right? But forget about Celena for a second and just think back to the time with Sam. Wonderful, awesome Sam, that didn’t deserve this at all! But it’s always the one who dont deserve it isnt it? I’m so glad he got this book at least.

Overall I liked the novellas in this book (some more than others) and would recommend reading it before Throne of Glass.

🌟🌟🌟

Throne of Glass

(Throne of Glass 1)

Well I really enjoyed this one. No it’s not perfect, but it was a good start for the series.

There might have been a little bit too much about how awesome Celena is, and she might come across as arrogant, but that kind of is her charm. It is nice to have a heroine who is confident and knows what she wants and who believes in herself (most of the time at least). I liked the plot, but it was somewhat easy to guess what was going to happen and not many surprises, but still a enjoyable read.

Rating 🌟🌟🌟⭐

Crown of Midnight

(Throne of Glass 2)

This one was even better than the first. Things are happening all the time. While the plot of the first book was easy to guess, this book kept the surprises coming. Also the way the characters were developed in this book was better than in the first. I just loved the romance in this book as well. I guess that was one of the more foreseeable things but I liked the dynamics between Choal and Celena and the conflict it brought out in them and the story without it being the usual love triangle drama (even though it was a bit hard for all three of them at times, but just not this OTT dreama that situations like this sometimes can lead to)

Overall better developed characters and a unforeseeable plot made for an awesome read!

Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐

Heir of Fire

(Throne of Glass 3)

This is hard. Because I really liked it most of the time! But then again, there were passages where i had a hard time staying focused and continue to read (I even considered skipping these chapters, but didn’t because I thought they might be important for later). That made this book rather slow paced for me and coming right after Crown of Midnight, it felt kind of like a letdown. I mean I guess the witch chapters will be of significance later in the series, but for now, they didn’t add much to the story. This book definitely has some good passages and the ending… I am so glad that I am binch reading this series and don’t have to wait ages for the next book.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

Queen of Shadows

(Throne of Glass 4)

Better than Heir of Fire, but still not up to Crown of Midnight. So again with the witch storyline that made it a little bit more slow paced than the first two books. This time i liked the witch part better than in the first book, and it felt more relevant, but it still didn’t interest me as much as the main story. Meeting Lyssandra again and having her “join the team” was something I didn’t see coming but was positively surprised by (I really disliked her in The Assassin’s Blade, but really liked her in this one). I quite liked the ending as well and do really look forward to reading the next book.

Rating 🌟🌟🌟⭐

Well I guess that’s it for the first part of the series. Overall I would say that I enjoy the series so far. Slow at times, but still fun to read. Hopefully I will be able to finish Empire of Storms this weekend, and will be back with a review for that soon.

Bye for now 🙂

Working my way back after a reading slump and starting a blog.

After starting this year with reading A LOT in the first few weeks, I kind of fell into a reading slump, where I just got easily distracted and lost focus of the books I was reading at the smalest sound.

Now I’m back to reading (halfway through Sarah J Maas “Throne of Glass” series), and finally decided to start the blog I always planned to start, but never got past the planning stage. This time I didn’t plan much and just started without overthinking (I hope). The main Idea is to post book reviews and other bookish content, but i guess time will tell.

That’s it for now, I will go back to reading my book and start working on my review for the first part of the Throne of Glass series.

Bye for now 🙂