My Top 10 Most Anticipated Debuts of 2019

The best part about entering a brand new year is all the debut novels that are coming out! Throughout the year there are a number of authors who are releasing their first novels and I am so excited to read them because they all sound amazing. Of course, there are so many to choose from but these are the 10 that have made me the most excited.

I follow every single one of these authors on Twitter, so I have seen them posting a lot about their characters and the story, which just makes me wish I could read them now (and some of them I can read now). There is a lot of hype for some of these books, which can sometimes be a bad thing, but from what I’ve read and seen I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy them all.

1. Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

I was lucky enough to be asked to take part in the Blog Tour for Wicked Saints, so I already have this book on my Kindle ready to read. I have seen so many amazing things said about this book online, especially on Twitter (along with some incredible fan art). I love that this book has been inspired by Russia and Poland, which is something I have been enjoying in other books I have read recently. If you aren’t aware of what this book is about, it follows three main characters. A girl has the ability to speak to the Gods, a prince has been put in danger and a boy carries a monstrous secret, and together they have to stop a war by assassinating the king. It sounds amazing.

A lot of people have been saying that if you love the Grishaverse, you should enjoy this, which is the best comparison because I love Leigh Bardugo’s books. I also have to mention how amazing that cover looks as well, which is kind of tempting me to buy it as well if I end up loving the ARC.

2. The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman

Another author who I have been following on Twitter and another book with a lot of hype surrounding it. Already there are some amazing reviews out there in the world, which makes me even more excited to finally read this. The story follows Violet, who has moved to a town her family helped found and ends up meeting Justin, May, Isaac, and Harper, who are all children of founder families. The townspeople treat her with fear and Violet realises the other children have otherworldly abilities, abilities they’ll have to use to figure out why bodies are showing up in the woods.

It was marketed as ‘Stranger Things meets The Raven Cycle’, so if you are a fan of those two things you might enjoy this book. Everything about this debut seems to have all the things I love in a good story and I cannot wait to read it.

3. The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson

I’m going to start by saying this is one of the best covers I have seen in a debut for this year. Everything about it is perfect and so mysterious. This book is about magical elemental crows that used to be in the Kingdom of Rhodaire, until the Illucian empire invaded them. Anthia is a fallen princess who has been depressed since that night, but she is spurred into action when she is forced to marry the Illucian prince. She ends up finding a secret Crow egg and devises a plan to hatch it in secret.

This was basically described as being ‘Eragon meets And I Darken’, with the crows supposedly being similar to dragons, so as soon as I heard that I was hooked. This book isn’t out until halfway through the year, but I have a feeling it’ll be worth the wait.

4. Wilder Girls by Rory Power

When the Tox hit, Raxter School for girls was put under quarantine and Hetty’s life changed. It’s been eighteen months since it happened and there is still no cure. The woods outside the school are dangerous thanks to the Tox and so they must stay within the confines of the school, but when Hetty’s friend goes missing she decides she will do anything to find them. It is then that she discovers more about the school and what is happening. Wilder Girls sounds dark and creepy, but it also reminded me of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, which is a book I read years ago.

There are a lot of five-star reviews already for this book, which describes it as a feminist horror and is something I didn’t realise I needed in my life until now. I cannot wait to read this when it is released in July.

5. Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

I’m lucky enough to have a copy of this Chinese-inspired tale already sitting on my Kindle, just waiting for me to dive in. Princess Hesina of Yan is thrust into power after her father dies and is determined to find out who responsible for his death. To do this she enlists the help of a soothsayer, but she risks her own life doing so as magic is outlawed in Yan. It isn’t enough and she turns to Akira, an investigator who has his own criminal secrets, but will the cost to find her father’s killer be too much? Honestly, everything about this book sounds incredible.

There are a lot more own-voices books going out into the world and it’s so exciting to read these books inspired by their heritage. The author has said it is like a Chinese drama with complex relationships, betrayal and sprawling families, which are all the things I love in a book.

6. Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

This standalone novel has the following description ‘A divided nation. Four Queens. A ruthless pickpocket. A noble messenger. And the murders that unite them.’ This was enough to grab my attention straight away, as well as that gorgeous cover! Quadara is divided into four sections, with each part of the nation specialising in something, such as Toria being the intellectual quarter and Eonia the futuristic quarter. Everything about this story sounds so unique and interesting, and I cannot wait to find out more when it is released at the end of next month.

It’s got some great reviews online and following the author on social media means I am always seeing little bits of information that make me more excited for its release.

7. Enchantee by Gita Trelease

Paris is one of my all-time favourite cities, a place I have visited on multiple occasions, so of course, I would want to read a book set there! It is based at the time of the French Revolution in 1789, where Camille must rely on petty magic to make a living since her parents passed away. She turns metal into coins, but when it doesn’t work she must go to the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette by transforming herself using dark magic. Everything about this debut sounds so magical and intriguing, especially with Camille going to the palace and gambling with cards for money.

I already have a copy of this on my Kindle to read before it is released at the beginning of February. Here’s hoping I love it as much as I adore the cover and description.

8. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

A cover hasn’t been released yet, but this is an aesthetic that Shelby created and posted on Twitter. This French-inspired book about witches instantly caught my attention and has me extremely excited for its release date at the beginning of September. The story is a dual perspective that follows two characters, Lou and Reid. Lou was supposed to be sacrificed on her 16th birthday, but instead, she forsakes her coven and escapes to Cesarine. There, she must hide her magic as Huntsmen roam the city, burning witches without a trial. Reid is one of these Huntsmen, who has devoted his life to eradicating the occult. Their paths cross when Lou stops him from capturing a witch and ensnares him in a public scandal that forces them to marry. For Lou, it means protection against the witches that are trying to kill her, but she has to convince Reid that she isn’t a witch herself.

Every single one of my mutuals on Twitter who has read this book absolutely loves it and I have a feeling I will too. I’ve been following Shelby for a while now and every time she posts a snippet or aesthetic, I get that much more excited for its release.

9. We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

This debut fantasy novel is inspired by ancient Arabia, where Zafira is a hunter. She has disguised herself as a man to help feed her people by going into the cursed forest of the Arz. Then there is Nasir, known as the Prince of Death, who assassinates the people who threaten his father, the king. Neither of them wants to be the legends they have become, but with war brewing Zafira must find an artefact and restore magic. But, at the same time, Nasir is sent to retrieve the artefact and kill the Hunter. This story is all about ‘discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands,’

I don’t think I’ve read a book before inspired by Arabia and it makes me so excited to read this one as the description sounds amazing. As with all the books on this list, there are already some incredible reviews out there in the world, so keep an eye out for when this book is released in May.

10. Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao

From what I’ve heard, this book is inspired by the story of Anastasia and Russia, which are two things that are very intriguing to me. Anastacya believes she is a monster, having been born with an affinity for blood, but when an accident happens that kills her father, the Emperor of Cyrilia, she is sentenced for his death. However, she knows who killed him and decides to make a bargain with an underground crime lord, Ramson Quicktongue, while on the run. In return for his help to clear her name, she will offer him an alliance, and so they set out on a dangerous journey to discover the truth.

This book seems to have everything I love, as well as a gorgeous cover! This fantasy world sounds extremely unique with ‘frozen tundras and ancient, snow-capped forests, where ice spirits roam.’ Who wouldn’t want to read this?

I could have added even more books to this list, but these are my most anticipated ones. If you haven’t heard of any on this list, make sure to head over to Goodreads to check out the full synopsis. I can guarantee you will want to add them to your TBR and pre-order them.

What debut novel are you looking forward to the most?

The Best Books I Read in 2018

How are there only 2 full days left of the year? It always blows my mind when we reach the end of another year and I think about how quickly the days are passing now that I’m getting older.

At the beginning of the year, I set myself a goal to read 50 books, but unfortunately, I have only read 43 (although I hope to make it 44 by the time Monday comes to an end). I hate that I went through a reading slump for three months because if I hadn’t, I would have been able to smash that goal. However, the 43 (44) books I have read this year were mostly amazing and it was so hard to choose my top 10.

Originally I had wanted to put them in order, but it was too difficult. I put my top 5 in the right spots, and the remaining 5 have no order to them because I couldn’t decide. So, here are my favourite reads for 2018!

1. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

If there is one book that I have talked about the most on my blog and my Twitter page, it is Scythe. I cannot even begin to describe my love for this book and the world that Shusterman created. From the very beginning, I was sucked in and I had to keep knowing more. The concept of there being no disease or wars and that people can only die if gleaned by a scythe was so interesting to me and made me wonder if the world would really be a better place.

There are quite a few plot twists that I didn’t expect and when I reached the end, I knew I had to buy the sequel. This was the easiest 5 stars I have ever given a book and it is one that I will surely read again in the future. You can check out my full review here.

2. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

I thought it couldn’t get much better than Scythe and I was wrong. Thunderhead took the story to new levels that I didn’t think was even possible. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to turn the pages to find out what would happen. The plot twists were amazing and the character development was incredible.

What I loved the most was finding out more about the Thunderhead and the introduction of new characters who slowly became more important throughout. Even now, thinking about that ending gives me so many mixed emotions; shock, anger, sadness, but most of all excitement. I cannot wait to see how Shusterman will finish off the trilogy. You can check out my review here and if you haven’t read this series, what are you waiting for?

3. The Grisha Verse Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

I was trying to figure out which of these books I enjoyed the most to add to this list and I thought, why not just add all of them? I feel like I was very late to read these books but I am so glad that I did because they are amazing. The world building is some of the best I have ever read. Everything was crystal clear in my mind, with a Russian influence that is clear but not overbearing and the characters were all so interesting.

Alina is one of my favourite main characters and her growth throughout the trilogy was amazing to watch with her growing into her powers. There’s a debate on whether people prefer the Darkling or Mal, but I love them both for different reasons and the ending of this series is one of my favourites! You can see the reviews for Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising by clicking on the links. This is definitely a series I will read again in the future.

4. Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this to read and I can’t tell you how much I love this debut novel. I have never read a book so quickly. Once I started, I was hooked with the story of family, loyalty and love. It is about overcoming prejudice and the character development was written beautifully. There is so much emotion in this book and I felt everything that the characters went through, which was a lot.

Some of my favourite parts were the action scenes and that is because they were written so well that I forgot about everything else around me. Sky in the Deep is one of those books you could read multiple times and never get bored, so if you have yet to pick it up, head to your nearest bookstore and give it a read. If you need a little more convincing, you can read my full review here.

5. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Unfortunately, I don’t have a review written for this book as it is when I didn’t have a lot of time to blog, but this book was amazing. I had been hearing so many great things about this series, so when the Kindle version went on sale, I had to have it and I devoured it. What I loved was how seamless the dual perspectives were. With some books, it can be jarring to keep switching between voices, but this was written so well. Elias and Laia have such distinct voices and I loved the paths that they took in this first book in the series.

I’ve always been a sucker for books inspired by the Romans, so I knew I was going to like this before I started it. Given that a lot of fantasies are written in the third person, it was really refreshing to read a story told in the first person. I just finished the second book, A Torch Against the Night, which I loved just as much. I advise you to give this series a go if you love action-packed scenes, romance and danger.

6. Vicious by V. E. Schwab

Vicious is the second book I have read by V. E. Schwab and I am so glad that I bought it because it quickly became one of my favourites. Once again, I was in a reading slump and was struggling to find something to capture my attention until this book came along. It only took me a few days to read and I think that is because the pacing of the book is so quick, especially with the timeline jumping, which is something I wasn’t sure of in the beginning but quickly loved.

There is a sense of urgency when you read it and you just want to get to the end to find out what will happen to Victor and Eli. Their rivalry is one of my favourites, where I could see both sides and why they felt the way they did. They are dark, funny and totally badass, which is one of the reasons why I love this book so much. I already have the sequel, Vengeful, on my shelves to read in 2019. I don’t read many adult books, but this has definitely gotten me into the genre, which is more Sci-Fi than Fantasy in my opinion.

7. Circe by Madeline Miller

It may seem a little odd to put a book on this list that I haven’t finished yet, but I’m going to do it because I already love it so much. I absolutely adore Greek mythology and devoured so many YA and Adult books based on it when I was younger. It had been years since I came across one until I saw that Circe was on offer for an incredible £0.99 and I remembered how many people had been praising it on Twitter.

Well, I’m already a third of the way through and I only started it yesterday. I am hooked. Everything about this story is so captivating, but the voice is what’s drawn me in. The story-telling is amazing and the story of Circe is so heart-breaking that I feel everything with her. As someone who has at one time or another been an outsider, I can relate to her so much. Circe is actually a goddess that I haven’t heard much about before, which I think is one of the reasons I love it so much. Of course, we see the other famous Gods and Goddesses, but I love learning about the ones I didn’t know of before. I can’t wait to read this book and finish her story.

8. A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas

2018 was the year I finally read A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, and A Court of Wings and Ruin, so it only makes sense that I add them all on here because I loved them. I read all three in the months that I took a hiatus from blogging while I dealt with being made redundant at my job. I absolutely flew through the first book and loved the parallels between Beauty and the Beast. Like most people probably did, I fell in love with Tamlin and swooned at how he cared for Feyre, so you can imagine my surprise at the events that took place in the two sequels. My emotions were all over the place with this series and I enjoyed every minute of it.

The characters were so intriguing and the growth that most of them went through hooked me, especially Feyre. From the beginning to the events of the third book, I watched her grow into this amazing woman who could do anything. I also realised why people like Rhys as a character, although I still held onto the Tamlin from the first book. I won’t lie, it took me a while to get through the second and third book as I was in the middle of a slump, but I enjoyed them. I definitely feel like this is a series I will have to re-read in the future to get all the details.

9. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

If you want to know how much I loved this book, I read it all within a day. I sat down in the morning and I didn’t move anywhere until the late afternoon when I finally shut the book. This collection of stories and fairy tales from the Grisha Verse was the first thing I read from Leigh Bardguo before diving in the Grisha Trilogy that I mentioned above. The writing in it was the most beautiful I had ever read. Everything about it took my breath away and it was one of those books where I held it to my chest when I finished, feeling so grateful I got to read those words.

It’s hard to choose a favourite story when there are six to choose from, each one dark and twisted, but filled with emotion. One of my favourite parts of this book was the illustrations. At the beginning of each story they would start in the corner and as the pages were turned they would keep growing until you reached the full-page image at the end. As an artist, I could appreciate the detail and beauty of each one and how they brought the story to life. If you haven’t read this book yet, you need to, because it is amazing. You can see my full review here.

10. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

There was a lot of hype surrounding this debut novel, which always makes me nervous because sometimes it doesn’t live up to it. However, I didn’t have that problem with Children of Blood and Bone because it was an incredible story and debut novel. I had never read a story based on West African mythology before and I was hooked from the beginning. There is so much detail and action on the pages that I wanted to soak in, but the information never felt like it was overwhelming me, which can sometimes happen with books.

One of the parts I loved the most was the magic system and how intricate it was, as well as being so unique. The adventure that Zelie and the other characters go on is so thrilling, showing how they are growing along the way and discovering new things about themselves. I love this story so much that when a chance came up to meet Tomi Adeyemi, I took it and it was amazing to hear how she came up with the story, as well as her process for writing it. The talk inspired me so much to keep going with my own writing and I will always be thankful for that. If you’d like to see my full review, you can read it here.

There were so many books that I enjoyed in 2018 that I wish could have been on the list, but I didn’t want it to go on forever. Did you manage to read any of these this year?

Let me know your all-time favourite book for 2018 in the comments below!

5 Books I’m Most Excited For This Autumn

Autumn, my favourite time of the year! It is perfect for wrapping up with a blanket, a hot cup of coffee on the side and brand news books on my shelves, because there are quite a few new ones that I am looking forward to.

The last three months haven’t been great for my blog or my reading, mainly because things have been so hectic with my freelance work. However, I am finally starting to get into a routine and I want to get back to blogging again. I can’t promise there will be posts on certain days but I will be reading a lot more than I have been (because I’ve been averaging a book a month when I used to read one in 4/5 days). I have to thank Vicious by V. E. Schwab for pulling me out of my three-month long reading slump because I read that book within 4 days and it was incredible! You can expect to see a review on that very soon.

So, the books I am excited to read this Autumn are…

1. Vengeful by V. E. Schwab

After falling in love with the first one, how could I not want to read the second one? While I may not have it in my possession yet, I will be ordering it when I get paid next week. I’ve only heard great things and some people are saying it is even better than the first! There is something about Schwab’s writing that makes her books perfect to read at this time of year. I definitely got X-Men vibes from the first book, so if you are a fan of the franchise you should check out Vicious.

2. Two Dark Reigns by Kendare Blake

This set of books is one of my favourite darker YA series and I cannot wait to get my hands on the third instalment. While I pre-ordered it back in July I unfortunately have to wait until the end of October to have it as I ordered it with another pre-order that isn’t out until then and I chose to bundle them together to save money on shipping. Either way, people are already loving this book and I can’t wait to see new parts of this dark world that Blake has created.

3. Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

In preparation for the final book in the series, I will be reading Tower of Dawn this month and hopefully finishing it before Kingdom of Ash is released. I’ve been having issues with regards to her other series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, because it took me forever to read the second book and I am still trying to finish the third one. However, I am hoping that Tower of Dawn will be different and can get me excited to see how this series will end.

4. Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

Can I just comment on how beautiful this cover is in the white version because wow…it is my favourite! After the ending of Empire of Storms I couldn’t wait until this book was released because of that cliffhanger. This will be a huge book with 992 pages (lord help me) but I am sure it will be worth it and give the series a satisfying end and hopefully it won’t make me cry. I have no idea what to expect, but I can’t wait to read it!

5. Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

Again, another book that I don’t actually own yet but I intend on buying it when I purchase Vengeful. I absolutely loved Nevernight because it was unlike anything I’d ever read before and completely captured my attention (and you can check out my review here). Plus, it is dark and moody which is perfect for Autumn when the nights are getting darker and everything is spookier, especially around Halloween. I’ve seen a lot of people say they were upset at the ending, which makes me even more excited to read it and find out what will happen to the characters.

These are all the books that I hope to get to this Autumn, which gives me until the end of November to read them all. Fingers crossed I can do it! What book are you looking forward to reading the most this month?

My Top 5 Books I’ve Read So Far This Year

Can you believe we’re already halfway through the year? Where have the last six months gone?!

I’ve seen a couple of people talk about the books they’ve read so far in the year and which ones they have loved the most. Currently, I have read 33 books, which is 66% of the way through my Goodreads challenge and I am over the moon. There have been some incredible books published in the first half of the year, and I also managed to pick up a couple series that I hadn’t gotten around to.

It was way harder to narrow the 33 down to 5 because I have actually given away so many five stars reviews because the books are that good. They aren’t going to be in an order, as that would make it even harder, but my top 5 so far are…

1. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

I was originally going to put Scythe on this list, but the second one blew me away even more than the first. I can’t stop thinking or talking about this book and I totally get why everyone loves it. The world building is fascinating and the characters are so interesting.

You never really know what is going to happen and the last 50 pages of Thunderhead were shocking, but in a good way. It means I have absolutely no idea what will happen in the third book, The Toll, and I’m even more excited for its publication date. You can check out my review for Scythe here and Thunderhead over here.

2. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

I’ll tell you how much I loved this debut novel, enough that I am going to meet the author herself in less than a months time! Everything about this book was incredible. The magic system, the stakes, the plots, the characters…Everything!

There was so much hype surrounding this book, which always makes me worried, but I had no reason to be. I cannot fault Children of Blood and Bone because it was amazing. A re-read will definitely be in order before Children of Virtue and Vengeance comes out next year. Check out my 5 star review here.

3. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I only finished this book two days ago and it is already in my top 5 for the year. Why didn’t I read it before now, you ask? I keep asking myself that because it was freakin’ amazing! I think I might even love it more than the Throne of Glass series, which is saying a lot because I adore those books. I’ll be writing up my review for this book within the next few days, but I can’t get over it.

There is something so appealing about the Fae and these characters really made me feel for them. I was literally smiling as I read their interactions and I can honestly say I’ve fallen for Tamlin (although everyone says I shouldn’t and it makes me nervous). I’m over 100 pages in to A Court of Mist and Fury and I can feel my thoughts changing on certain characters when I didn’t want them to (mainly Tamlin and Rhys), but I just know this series is going to be one of my favourites.

4. Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

The only downside to this book is that it is a standalone. Sky in the Deep knocked my socks off with the world building and how divided it is, the prejudice that surrounds the characters, and not to mention the fact that it has a viking influence. I grew to care so much about these characters and what they were going through as I was reading.

There are some incredible action scenes that were fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat, as well as a sweet romance that blossomed. This book has everything and it was thoroughly deserving of five stars. It is one of those that I could read again and again and never get bored. See more of my thoughts in my review here.

5. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Can I put the Grisha trilogy in here as well? I would say all of her books deserve to be here, but I have yet to read Six of Crows,. However, I chose The Language of Thorns to be in this list as it was the first book I read by her. Honestly, it was magical, as well as being dark and deadly at the same time. I read it in one sitting, that’s how much I loved it. I just couldn’t get enough!

Each of the six stories that are included are beautifully told, and featured the most gorgeous illustrations. Bargudo is an incredible writer who made the words jump off the page and come to life for me. Will I pick it up again one day? Hell yeah! This is the kind of book I will forever keep and one day pass on to my kids if I have any. It was a no brainer to give this 5 stars, and you can check out my review here.

I could have added so many more books, but then we would be here all night! I know that the rest of 2018 is going to be filled with some amazing reads as well, so I am dreading my end of the year top ten list!

What is the best book that you have read so far this year?

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Series I Gave Up On

Top Ten Tuesday was originally hosted over at The Broke and The Bookish and is now over at Jana’s blog, That Artsy Reader Girl.

This weeks topic is all about the book series that we never got around to finishing. Unfortunately, I have quite a lot to choose from, but most of my reasons for giving up on them were good enough. I also realised I’ve forgotten about so many books, but the majority of them were read over six years ago!

1. Angelfall by Susan Ee

While I enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, I feel that at this age it isn’t my cup of tea anymore. I am much more into the older section of YA, with a focus on Fantasy more than paranormal. So, unfortunately I won’t be picking up the next two in the series.

2. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

I feel like I could put all of Cassandra Clare’s books into this section. I started reading this series, as well as The Infernal Devices series, and I ended up giving up with both of them. I think I just fell out of love with the story and characters, or got bored in some cases. It happens and while it can make us feel bad, at the end of the day we shouldn’t force ourselves to read something just because everyone else loves it.

3. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

I wanted to love this series as much as I love The Vampire Academy, but it just didn’t work out for me. I ended up only reading the first two, even though I owned the third, and didn’t realise it went on for so long!

4. Divergent by Veronica Roth

I feel like a lot of people say they never finished this series. I never even watched all of the films. Divergent tried to be like the Hunger Games and I don’t think it worked for me. I remember liking it at the time but I didn’t think it was anything special, and I had gone off of dystopian as a genre until I picked up Scythe by Neal Shusterman (but it has a new twist on the genre).

5. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

I think I enjoyed this book, although I don’t remember much about it and I never read the second one. This isn’t the first series that I didn’t finish by Julie Kagawa, as I never finished her Iron Fey one either, even though I own all the books (fellow bookworms, why do we sometimes buy a whole series and THEN realise we don’t like it? I’ve since stopped doing it).

6. The Violet Eden Chapters by Jessica Shirvington

I picked this up when I was going through my angel phase, you know, the one that included Halo and Fallen? Anyway, I can’t remember a single thing about this book and I wouldn’t even know the main character’s name unless it was in the series name.

7. The Mara Dyer series by Michelle Hodkin

Again, another book that I can hardly remember because I read it so long ago. I think it was a mystery, thriller type book, but I could be completely wrong. I may have picked this up because the cover looked cool (no judging please).

8. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

This could be one of the series I gave up on too quickly considering how many people love it and can’t wait for the final book to be out (unless it already is out, I can’t keep up). I can remember a few details about this book, which shows that I probably did enjoy it, but I don’t think I will be playing catch up anytime soon.

9. House of Night by P. C. Cast

Why couldn’t these books have finished while they were still good? I absolutely adored this series up until Tempted (I think) and I even re-read them a couple of times (it was my vampire loving phase and I blame Twilight for it). It would be quite funny to do a re-read and see if they are as good as I remember, or worse than I thought. Could be an interesting experiment.

10. Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I think I remember these books being based on Greek mythology, which is something I enjoyed at the time (which was about 6/7 years ago now) and all I know is I loved the first two books. I can hardly remember a thing about them and I never carried on reading, even though I had Deity on my shelf. I doubt I will ever pick them up again, but you never know.

There were quite a few that could have been added to this list, but they aren’t as well known as my chosen ten.

What is the most well-known series you gave up reading?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Summer TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday was originally hosted over at The Broke and The Bookish and is now over at Jana’s blog, That Artsy Reader Girl.

I’ve been a little MIA lately, which I will explain about in another blog post, but I have been super excited to write this blog post. There are so many amazing books that I want to read over the next few months. I get really bad hay-fever so I tend to try and stay indoors when the pollen levels are high, which means I get a lot of time for reading.

It wasn’t too difficult to choose which books to put on this list, mainly because they’re all ones I’ve been meaning to read for a while.

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I’ve been meaning to read this series, but I was so caught up with the Throne of Glass series that I figured it would be best to wait. Well, I only have Tower of Dawn to read, so you can bet that I am starting this. Everyone always says how much they love these books and the characters, so I can’t wait.

2. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

I am seeing this series everywhere, so of course I’m going to want to read it (spoiler: I already bought it on my Kindle). Plus, that cover is gorgeous! I originally wanted to buy it in this version, but I couldn’t find a seller, and I won’t order from the US Amazon because shipping is too high. However, I am really excited to read these books and see what all the hype is about.

3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

The time has finally come when I can read this series! I am so excited to dive back into this magical world and meet new characters that everyone loves. I have a lot of expectations going into this new series and I hope that they can be met!

4. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

I already know what’s going to happen. I’m going to end up enjoying Six of Crows and I’ll just have to dive into the next one. And then I’ll feel sad that I read them so quickly.

5. Furyborn by Claire Legrand

While I haven’t bought this book yet, I definitely will be within the next two months. I have heard some amazing things and people are raving about this book. It is such a unique idea and while I don’t know too much, I can’t wait to be surprised.

6. Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

I absolutely loved Nevernight. It is one of my favourite reads ever, and the UK paperback for Godsgrave comes out very soon! I will probably read this towards the end of the summer, mainly because the third and final book, Darkdawn, won’t be out until next year. I am definitely looking forward to this one.

7. Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes

How am I already onto the final book? I don’t want this series to end! I love all the characters and each book in the series has hooked me even more than the last. I only finished the fifth one a couple of days ago, so I still have to buy this, but I cannot wait. I have no idea how it will end. I just want Magnus and Cleo to live happily ever after. Please.

8. Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Gearing up for the big finale in October! I’m a little sad that this won’t feature all the other characters, as it’s mainly about Chaol, but I’m still looking forward to reading it. Although the blue cover REALLY stands out against the rest, which are all white. Not quite feeling it, but if Kingdom of Ash is dark, it’s alright.

9. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

I’ve already read this once, back in March, but I am going to an event at Waterstones to meet the woman herself! I am so excited and figured it would be a good idea to re-read the book so I am prepared for the event. Expect lots of pictures and a long blog post about it all in the beginning of August.

10. A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab

It has been a good few months since I read A Darker Shade of Magic and I am ready to jump back into this world. I’ve heard that the books just get better as they go along, and also that they crush a lot of peoples’ hearts, but I’m gonna ignore that part.

That is all!

What books are you looking forward to reading the most this summer?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books and Series I Decided To DNF – Do I Regret It?

Top Ten Tuesday was originally hosted over at The Broke and The Bookish and is now over at Jana’s blog, That Artsy Reader Girl.

This weeks’ topic was to do with travelling, but I didn’t have anything that fit in. So, instead I decided to do last weeks topic that I didn’t get to do because my laptop took two and a half hours to update. It was torture.

All the books in this list are either the first in a series or part way through that I didn’t finish for one reason or another.

1. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

This book has been sat on my ‘currently reading’ section of Goodreads since November last year, and I’m not sure when I’ll get a chance to finish it. I was a little bored, but I somehoe managed to get over a hundred pages in. The third book is also on my shelf, but it doesn’t leave me with much hope if I stopped reading the second one.

2. Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings

I really tried with this book. I even got to the halfway point, but I just wasn’t interested. It sounded great, however I couldn’t connect with the characters and the writing just didn’t flow for me. Whether that is because I don’t read a lot of sci-fi, or if it’s because it was written by two people, I don’t know. I feel like I should try and finish this, but it took me long enough to reach the halfway point.

3. House of Night Series by P. C. Cast

I used to adore this series! I started reading it just after I got into Twilight, and I couldn’t get enough. Every book I bought was amazing and I loved the characters. HOWEVER, I felt that as they went along the story lost it’s spark and I eventually stopped reading after Awakened, even though I’d bought Destiny. It would be interesting to see if I found them as good now. Probably not though.

4. Divergent by Veronica Roth

If it weren’t for the movie, I’m not sure I’d remember much of this book. I don’t even think I read the second book, which says a lot. It was just one of those series that I quickly grew out of, and I was never a big fan of dystopian anyway.

5. The Selection by Kiera Cass

Everyone always goes on about this series (for good and bad reasons), but after I read the first book I never bought the rest. Although, the covers for the series are absolutely gorgeous. I don’t even remember what happens in this book, so it obviously didn’t leave much of an impression.

6. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

I adored the Vampire Academy series, and so I figured I would really enjoy Bloodlines as well. I kind of did, and then I just stopped reading them. I remember reading the first one, but I don’t remember much of the second, and I never got around to reading the third. I didn’t even know there were six books until today!

7. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I actually remember loving this book so much and the characters, especially the male lead. And then I just never picked up the second book, which seems to be a recurring theme with me and books. I can’t remember why I didn’t, although it’s probably because I used to get too distracted by other books.

8. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Can I just repeat what I said above? Another book I enjoyed and never carried on. Everyone says they love this series and I feel like I missed out, and I’m probably at the point where I wouldn’t go back and read them.

9. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Again, another series I feel like I missed out on. I originally read Shatter Me before it was published in the UK, as I bought the US edition from the Book Depository, and I remember really enjoying the story. I can probably blame other books getting in the way as my reason for not reading the rest of the series. Story of my life.

10. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Please tell me I wasn’t the only one that stopped reading this series (and the other series’ set in the universe)? I read the first four, bought the fifth and never read it. I even have these covers, and they all have brand new ones now. Plus, I can’t even remember half of what happens in them.

I actually managed to come up with a lot of books and series for this (which is probably really bad now I think about it).

What book series did you DNF?

Top Two Tuesday: Books With My Favourite Colour on the Cover

Top Ten Tuesday was originally hosted over at The Broke and The Bookish and is now over at Jana’s blog, That Artsy Reader Girl.

I’m really looking forward to this weeks topic because I had so many books to choose from! I used to have two favourite colours when I was younger, red and blue (complete opposites) but as I have grown older one has emerged the victor and it is…Red! I mean, I do dye my hair red so I must love it (although pink is a close second now and blue is third).

There are a lot of book covers that feature the colour red in one way or another. Some of them even happen to be some of my favourites and others are ones I hope to read one day soon.

1. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

I am so glad that I got the red cover for the first book in the series. It looks amazing and stands out so well against the black background. Even the spine of the book is blood red, matching the books deathly nature perfectly.

2. Scythe by Neal Schusterman

While this book isn’t completely red, it does feature strongly and I think that this is one of my favourite paperbacks. The graphics and shapes look great and I love how there is the silhouette of the scythe’s face against the weapon. Also, I love that font!

3. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

 

The second book in the series has my second favourite cover which is red, of course. Not to mention the fact that the pose is so badass. All the covers for this book are incredible in their own right and they look great side by side.

4. A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Red, black, white and grey are the colours of this book series, which perfectly represents the four London’s in the book. I really like these covers. They are cool, edgy and mysterious. This book in particular has a red bind with white writing that really stands out.

5. Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

I love, love, love this cover. I still have to buy and read Ace of Shades but I know that when I do, it will be the US hardback with this cover. I love how the deck of cards and symbols are incorporated into the design and it’s red, so it looks completely badass.

6. Heartless by Marissa Meyer

The US cover is black with what looks to be red thorn stems all over, but this is the UK one which I think looks pretty good. I love how it looks like it’s been painted (because the roses were painted red)  and the minimalist face to represent the Queen looks really good. I still have to read this standalone novel, but seeing the cover makes me what to even more now.

7. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

After reading Nevernight, I find myself wanting to read more of Kristoff’s writing and I am pretty sure that I am going to give this trilogy a go. This is a more red/orange but it still counts. I love the layout of the cover and from what I’ve heard of how it’s been formatted, it is definitely reflected here.

8. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I need to start this series soon, but I have so many good books still left to read. I love all the covers of this series, but the first one is my favourite. Mainly because of how dark and red it is. I’m tempted to start this one next month, or even at the end of this month if I can fit it in.

9. Talon by Julie Kagawa

A much darker shade of red, but this is actually one of my favourite shades to paint my nails (I like the vampy, dark look) and I LOVE the scales to represent the dragons. Again, another book that I have yet to read, but I will get around to it.

10. The Iconic…Twilight series

I couldn’t not have this feature, mainly because the covers are so iconic. Black, white and red just go so well together and I will never forget treasuring these books when I was younger. Unfortunately I have no idea where they are now. I may have to buy them again considering I am doing a re-read in November (just for fun and to probably cringe) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the film coming out. Oh, the good old days.

There we have it. Ten covers with the colour red featuring in them (and yes, I did have Taylor Swift’s song in my head the whole time while writing this post). I could have chosen a lot more but I like these ones the best.

What cover do you like the best that has red on it?

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favourite Covers of Books I Own

Top Ten Tuesday was originally hosted over at The Broke and The Bookish and is now over at Jana’s blog, That Artsy Reader Girl.

This weeks topic was originally about words frequently used in the titles for a certain genre. Unfortunately, I could only come up with a few and instead I’ve decided to do a different topic altogether. As I moved house at the weekend I had a chance to look through all the books I owned (some of which I had forgotten about). So, I have decided to write about my favourite covers of books that I own. I’m not counting NetGalley ones as I technically didn’t buy them and I don’t have them in paper/hardback.

Here are my top ten favourite covers…

1. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

This cover is striking and I have to admit, it was what drew me to check out the synopsis. Luckily for me the writing was just as amazing as the cover. I love the contrast of the white hair with the black background and the ombre style writing for the title. I have it in paperback and it has a matte finish, which felt lovely when reading this book.

2. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

I am specifically talking about the UK version (because let’s face it, they are so much better than the US ones). I LOVE what they did with these covers, having one for each of the sisters. Of course, I had to go for the red one as it’s my favourite colour, but the green is a close second. I would really like to collect the other two (would that be weird) and have the complete set.

3. Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

It has been years since I read this book and I can’t really remember what happened, but this cover is gorgeous! This is the US one in hardback that I bought from the Book Depository and I have always loved it. The colour is gorgeous, the wispy wings made of smoke are perfect and the falling feathers add a nice touch.

4. Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

The first thing I noticed (and adored) about this book when I opened it was the pearlized effect of the pink. It felt so luxurious and tied in perfectly with the jewelled crown and skull. Don’t be fooled by it’s pretty appearance though, because this is a dark book, which only makes it more interesting that the cover is pink. Also, when you take the dust jacket off, the actual hardcover is a pale pink/creamy colour.

5. Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings

While I haven’t gotten around to finishing Zenith yet (I hit a slump with it) I do love the cover, which looks even better on the US hardback. I love how well the colours work together, the stars and the little design on the front. Even the font of the title looks amazing, with the light glistening and shining. I’m still hoping to finish this one day soon.

6. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

I may not be able to remember much about the story, but I do know that this is one of my favourite hardback books that I own. The cover is incredible, with bright colours and a glossy finish. I’m not a big fan of faces on books, but this was done so well with the butterfly wings and how the image fades around the edges. Gorgeous. Even the sequel covers look just as good, although I never got around to buying them.

7. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Mass

Out of all of the covers (I own them all) Queen of Shadows is my favourite. I have yet to read it (it’s on my TBR for next month) but there is something about the dark clothing, the maroon cloak and the bright blue behind her that works so well. Plus, she looks like a complete badass, which is only making me more excited to dive back into the series.

8. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

I have all the old covers for The Mortal Instruments series, as well as the Infernal Devices, but I really do love the new ones that they’ve done (but I can’t justify re-buying them all just for that reason). I love the covers for The Dark Artifices series, but I only own Lady Midnight. Again, another book that has a pearlized cover that shimmers and feels great. I’m hoping to start this one before the year is out (my TBR list is long).

9. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

I love, love, love the covers for this duology and I am dying to read them (next month I will) and I think the colours are great. While it isn’t the most colourful, it stands out with the crow flying and I really like how there are buildings making out the feathers in the wings. Very clever and it makes me even more excited to read it. I still have to read the third book of the Grisha trilogy, but I really want to read Six of Crows…would anything be ruined if I went ahead and started it?

10. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Again, another darker cover, but it seems I don’t have a preference. Having read a third of this already I can see why some of the illustrations that make up the raven are there. It is very clever and really eye-catching. The second book also has an amazing cover with a wolf on it, one that I can’t wait to buy. I don’t know what the UK cover for the third will be like, but I can’t wait to find out.

There we have it, my favourite covers that I own. There isn’t really a pattern with them, but they are all unique and different.

What is your favourite cover of a book?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Series I Am Looking Forward to Reading/Finishing

Top Ten Tuesday was originally hosted over at The Broke and The Bookish and is now over at Jana’s blog, That Artsy Reader Girl.

I love freebie week, so of course I wanted to talk about book series! While I like a good stand alone novel, the series are where it’s at. I love going on an adventure with the characters and exploring new worlds. I just hate when it all has to come to an end. For this list I have chosen books that I have either started reading and still need to finish, or series that I am looking forward to starting.

1. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I am near enough halfway through this series and I am going to try my best to read the rest before the final book comes out later on this year. I can’t wait to dive back into it and find out what will happen to the characters that I love.

2. A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

I have only read the first book so far, but I have the second one ready and waiting on my book shelf. I will be aiming to read the last two this year as I have heard that they only get better, especially with the last one. I will probably end up reading more of Schwab’s work because she is amazing.

3. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

After having read the first and the second book in this series, I am just waiting to get paid so I can finally read the last in this trilogy. After the ending in the second one I can’t wait to find out what happens to everyone and what the fate of Ravka will be. Plus, once I do I can then move on to Six of Crows (which I am most excited about).

4. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

As this book is my favourite of 2018 so far, it is only right that I be so excited about reading the rest in the trilogy. This world is so rich and magical, the characters feel so real, and the conflicts are some of the best I’ve read. 2019 seems a while away, but I can’t wait for more of Adeyemi’s writing.

5. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Can the next book just come out already! I am dying to find out what happens to the three queens, especially after what happened in One Dark Throne. I am so invested in this story, I have bought all the novellas just to keep me going until Two Dark Reigns comes out. I just hope it is worth the wait.

6. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

I’m not sure how many books Clayton will end up doing set within this world, but I know for definite that there is another book after The Belles. I can’t wait to see more of this dark, whimsical and fantasical world, as well as the characters who are so conflicted. Fingers crossed it is as good as this was, because I loved it.

7. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Already there are ARCs of The Wicked King out in the world and I want one so badly! I am going to be insanely jealous of anyone who gets the chance to read it, whereas I have to wait until next January (curls into a ball and cries). Everyone should read this series, it’s amazing.

8. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

I have heard so much about this book (as well as the sequel) and I am so tempted to buy it. I watch Peruseproject (aka Regan) and she has read them recently and is getting her boyfriend to read them now as well. I feel like I am missing out so I need to catch up.

9. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Again, another series I have heard Regan talk about a lot on her channel and I even have the first book on my shelf. The only thing that has stopped me from reading it is that I know that if I love it, I will want the others. With six in the series (which is now complete, I think) I need to be able to afford them all at once if I love it and want to read them one after the other.

10. Furyborn by Claire Legrand

A debut novel and the first in a series that I am so excited to read. I pre-ordered this bad boy, which comes out in June, and it still seems so far away, I just need it now. I follow the author on social media and every time I see little bits of information I just get more excited. If you haven’t heard about this book then you need to check it out.

And that is my complete list. Of course, there are lots of other books I am looking forward to reading but I would be here all day if I were to list them.

What series are you looking forward to reading the most?