October 20, 2014

My Birthday Book Haul

My birthday was in September and I asked for some books! So I got this pile from a bunch of friends and my sister in law! I can't wait to read them all :)

I've bought this leather satchel from Dr. Martens with the money I got on my birthday. I love it, it's perfect to take with me to the office!
My sister in law also got me this amazing tote.

October 15, 2014

Loose Leaf Teas from HEMA

HEMA has been selling loose leaf tea for a long time, but never in a cute package like this. So when I saw a blogpost about this tea on Belessa.nl, I had to get some myself! I had to look for it, because it wasn't in the tea and coffee section, but eventually I found it. I chose a package with these two flavors: Green Tea Pomegranate and Oolong Peach. It sure sounds tasty, doesn't it?

When we got home, I had to try it right away and I started with the Green Tea Pomegranate, I really like the taste! I don't drink my tea really strong and this tea is perfect for me. The next day I had family over, so I had to share my new tea. This time I chose the other one and that one is definitely my favorite! Oolong Peach tastes like fall. A perfect tea flavor to drink under a blanket and stare at my candles, lol! A set of two flavors costs € 5,-.

I also bought this cute tea infuser, which floats! Also at HEMA (€ 3,00).

October 13, 2014

Book Review: Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant

Subject: Juvenile Fiction, Horror & Ghost Stories ISBN: 9780062207401 | ISBN-10: 0062207407
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date: 09/2014
US Edition | Hardcover | 272 pages

Mara wakes up surrounded by a strange mist with no memories. She meets a strange young man who calls himself Messenger of Fear and she’s supposed to be his apprentice. They move through time and space, observing people who need punishment for crimes of wickedness, bullying and thoughtless teenage cruelty, when human law isn’t enough. They give the people a choice: play a game the horrific Game Master devised, or face your biggest fear. If the players win the game, they go free – though they’ll be changed by the experience of the game. If they lose, they must face their biggest fear anyway.


Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant is about the good and the evil in humans and the thin line between the two, the cruelty people choose to inflict on others and how they justify it in their heads. It shows the hard reality of today’s world, but also a scary new fictional world. Real life problems are mixed with fiction and I really loved that.

There are three subplots and I felt so sad reading them. My heart broke a little, especially with Samantha’s story. The three plots are very different, but they’re all involved in the same terrifying situation. Messenger paid all of them a visit, but everything else was anything but similar. This book has important lessons about life and the biggest lesson is that you should be careful of the way you act. Unless you want a visit from the Messenger of Fear and you don’t want that, trust me.

 I really enjoyed reading this book, the plot twist at the end was very interesting and I didn’t see it coming. I did felt like this book was more like an exploration of an idea than a story, but it’s the beginning of a series, so this book was a good introduction and I’m very curious about the rest of the series. I’d love to know more about the other characters like Daniel, I feel like he’s got a lot going on that we didn’t see. This horror book will make you think.

October 9, 2014

October TBR

Not really a spooky TBR for October. But these are books I can't wait to read and I'm kinda on a book buying ban. Partly because I have to save for our house that's being build right now (with room for a tiny library!) and because I got lots of books for my birthday and I'm gonna put some books on my wishlist for Christmas!

This is what I want to read this month, no matter what:

Veronica Rossi - Trough the ever night (Under the Never Sky, #2)
It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.
Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?


Cassandra Clare - City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5)
What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

Benjamin Alire Sáenz - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe 
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

October 8, 2014

September wrap up


September wasn't really a reading month for me, maybe you've seen it in my September monthly review post on my other blog, Dainty Dream, but I was super busy, not only did I had a lot of birthdays (including my own), I also had a lot of funtime with friends. Even though I love seeing and meeting everybody, I can't wait for a more quieter time, when I have time to read and cuddle on the couch by candlelight ;). But I did read 3 books and I enjoyed them all.

Karen Slaughter - Fallen (Will Trent, #5)
Another book by Karin Slaughter from the Will Trent series. I enjoyed this book very much, but I'm kinda in a slump. I'm rereading all of her books and sometimes all the violence and criminality get a bit too much. I'm glad when I'm all caught up and just read her books when they come out, like once a year and enjoy it a bit more.

Emmy Laybourne - Sky on Fire (Monument 14, #2)
 I've read the first book in this series last month and I loved it. I also liked this book very much, but it was a bit short. I'm very curious how it will all end, so I'm definitely ordering the 3th book soon!

Veronica Rossi - Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1)
I got this series for my birthday and I started it right away. I really like this story in a distopian world. I can't wait to read the rest of the series, can you believe it took me this long to read it?

September 2, 2014

August wrap up

Wow, august is already gone and it's September. I feel like I keep saying that time flies, but it really does. I did read a bunch of books, thanks to the read-a-thon. So let me share my wrap up and my mini reviews right away!

Karin Slaughter - Broken
It's a good mystery, I love Will Trent and his struggles. But this book wasn't really a page-turner for me. Maybe I've read to much of her novels in a too short amount of time, but sometimes I'm getting a bit tired from all the bad things that happen in a little town. But it's a good story anyway and worth the read.

Cassandra Clare - City of Fallen Angels
I just loved getting back into the world of the Mortal Instruments. Some bits like the difficulties in the relationships were a bit annoying and took to long. But overall I liked this book and I was shocked by the ending and I can't wait to read more! City of Lost Souls will definitely on my TBR pile for September.

Corinne Duyvis - Otherbound
I loved this book, that's all I'm gonna say, because I'm planning to write a full book review about it. I went to the book presentation last sunday and I got to meet the author. It was awesome. I felt super awkward going there alone, but I survived :p

Rainbow Rowell - Landline
I really enjoyed reading this book. But it isn't really my thing. It was beautiful written, but that's what Rainbow does. The plot was a little slow and the book was easy to put down. After reading Fangirl I look forward to reading this one. I liked it, but I didn't love it.

Emmy Laybourne - Monument 14
Who doesn't love an apocalyptic story about ending up in a huge warehouse? It's the best place to end up, right? I loved reading this book. It made me wonder how I would do things if I would end up in that situation. I already ordered the next book in the series, can't wait for it to arrive!

Morgan Matson - Since you've been gone
What a wonderful happy story, I needed a feel good book and this was definitely one. Perfect for summer. I would love to read more books like this in between the other books I've read (lot's of blood, ending worlds, distopians etc.) so if you have any recommendations let me know.

August 26, 2014

Bout of Books: Snippets of my week

1. The house we stayed in for the week 2. started Otherbound 3. A delicious lunch 4. Buddha wants to read too 5. Breakfast time! 6. Started Landline 7. More breakfast and reading 8. Reading together 9. My view from the house
1. On our way to Amsterdam 2. Started this graphic novel series 3. Lunch at Bagels & Beans, yum! 4. Reading in my Star Wars PJ's 5. Rice crackers for two 6. Started Monument 14 7. Snuggling with Buddha 8. Started since you've been gone 9. Cheese and wine

August 25, 2014

Bout of Books: Wrap up

Hey there! The end of the week is in sight and the Bout of Books read-a-thon is almost over. I'm spending two weeks in a vacation house in Amsterdam where I don't have an internet connection. But, right now we're home to pick up some stuff (new books!) and I decided to make this blogpost a little bit early. Because we go back to our vacation location later today and I wont be able to do this update until next week. So anyways, here is my wrap up!

Monday:
  • Started Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis, I'm planning of posting a review of this here on my blog, so I'm just telling you guys, I loved it.
Number of pages read: 200
Total of pages read: 200

Tuesday:
Number of pages read: 287
Total of pages read: 487

Wednesday:
Number of pages read: 258
Total of pages read: 745

Thursday
Number of pages read:170
Total of pages read: 915

Friday
Number of pages read: 268
Total of pages read: 1013

Saturday
Number of pages read: 100
Total of pages read: 1113

Sunday
Number of pages read: 349
Total of pages read: 1462


I'm very pleased with my very first read-a-thon! Because it started the same day as my vacation, I had lots of time to read. If I had to work during this read-a-thon I wouldn't have read as much as I did. I have another week of from work, so I'll continue to read a lot! Not as much as this week, probably a lot slower, lol! I still have to finish The 5th wave and I want to read another Karin Slaughter novel, I'm almost up to date with re-reading all her books!

So, how did you do this read-a-thon?

August 12, 2014

Bout of Books: TBR and goals

Next week I'll be participating in my first Read-a-Thon, Bout of Books 11. I have a two week vacation, so plenty of time to read! I've picked four books from my TBR pile and two graphic novels that just came in.

  1. Corinne Duyvis - Otherbound This is a Dutch author and I've heard great things about this book, she'll be signing books at ABC in the end of August, so I want to read the book before I go there. Who wants to join me?
  2. Morgan Matson - Since you've been gone I've been seeing this book pop up everywhere and I picked it up because it seemed to be the perfect summer read. I can't wait to start this one.
  3. Benjamin Alire Sáenz - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe I've got this book for months now and this read-a-thon will be the perfect opportunity to finally read it!
  4. Rainbow Rowell - Landline Again, I've heard lots of great things about this book and I loved reading Fangirl a while ago. I've bought this book because of that, but I also loooove the cover. I can't help myself when a pretty cover is involved, hey don't just me, I'm a graphic designer ;)
  5. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Stapels - Saga volume 1 I haven't read a lot of graphic novels yet, but this one looks amazing, I love the artwork.
  6. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Stapels - Saga volume 2 Same story as above. Because these weren't that expensive, I've decided to buy volume 2 too.
Some other goals:
  • Update daily on my Instagram and Twitter
  • Socialize with lots of people

Because I wont be home during the read-a-thon, I wont be able to do daily updates on my blog. But I'll make a big wrap up at the end  of the week. Sharing all my Instagram photos I've made during the week and I'll share my daily progress.

August 9, 2014

Book Haul: S.

A really small book haul post about this beautiful book: S. by Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams. It arrived last month and I just wanted to show how awesome this book is. So I took some photos:

One book. Two readers. A world of mystery, menace, and desire.

A young woman picks up a book left behind by a stranger. Inside it are his margin notes, which reveal a reader entranced by the story and by its mysterious author. She responds with notes of her own, leaving the book for the stranger, and so begins an unlikely conversation that plunges them both into the unknown.


THE BOOK: Ship of Theseus, the final novel by a prolific but enigmatic writer named V. M. Straka, in which a man with no past is shanghaied onto a strange ship with a monstrous crew and launched onto a disorienting and perilous journey.


THE WRITER: Straka, the incendiary and secretive subject of one of the world’s greatest mysteries, a revolutionary about whom the world knows nothing apart from the words he wrote and the rumours that swirl around him.


THE READERS: Jennifer and Eric, a college senior and a disgraced grad student, both facing crucial decisions about who they are, who they might become, and how much they’re willing to trust another person with their passions, hurts, and fears.


S. , conceived by filmmaker J. J. Abrams and written by award-winning novelist Doug Dorst, is the chronicle of two readers finding each other in the margins of a book and enmeshing themselves in a deadly struggle between forces they don’t understand. It is also Abrams and Dorst’s love letter to the written word.

August 4, 2014

August TBR

This month's TBR is kinda short, because I'm participating in the Bout of Books Read-a-thon and I'll do a separate TBR list for that later this month. Because I'm still waiting on a book order to arrive.

What I'll be reading this month:

Karin Slaughter - Broken (Will Trent, #4)
When Special Agent Will Trent arrives in Grant County, he finds a police department determined to protect its own and far too many unanswered questions about a prisoner’s death. He doesn’t understand why Officer Lena Adams is hiding secrets from him. He doesn’t understand her role in the death of Grant County’s popular police chief. He doesn’t understand why that man’s widow, Dr. Sara Linton, needs him now more than ever to help her crack this case.
Rick Yancey - The 5th wave

Rick Yancey - The 5th Wave (The 5th wave, #1)
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.
Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker.
Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Cassandra Clare - City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4)
The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.
 But nothing comes without a price. Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her—his mother just found out that he’s a vampire, and now he’s homeless. When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

August 1, 2014

July wrap up

Hey there! It's time for my monthly wrap up of the books I've read in July. I've read a total of 6 books and I'm really happy about that, since three of them were pretty big. Now, let's talk about the books!

Sally Green - Half Bad (Half Life, #1) ♥♥♥
I gave this book 3 out of 5 hearts. I enjoyed reading it, but I thought it wasn't that interesting or exciting. Halfway through the book I realized we hadn't gotten anywhere in the story and I got a bit bored with it. But this book is well written and I feel this book could be a great intro into the rest of the series. But for me, it's not more than an intro.

George R. R. Martin - A Game of Thrones (A song of Ice and Fire, #1) ♥♥♥♥♥
This was as good as I remember. The world building is flawless, the characters super interesting. When I've read this book for the first time I often was confused with all the characters, but now I've read it for the second time and I've seen the TV series and I liked the book even better, probably because I know all the characters already. Loved it.

Karin Slaughter - Undone (Will Trent, #3) ♥♥♥+0,5
This is a re-read too and I enjoyed reading it again. I love the suspense in her books and this book wasn't an exception. I do get annoyed sometimes with all the stuff that happens to the characters. But most of them bring the misery upon themselves, this can be frustrating for the reader and this is one of the reasons I only (re-)read a book of her a month and not more.

Michael Grant - Messenger of Fear ♥♥♥♥
This book was an advanced reader copy I got from the American Book Center to review, so the review will be posted on my blog as soon it's on theirs!

Richelle Mead - Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1) ♥♥♥
This was a fun and quick read, which I needed after reading all the big books. I enjoyed it very much and I'll continue the series. I wasn't blown away by the story and I kinda felt a bit to old to read it from time to time. But it's enjoyable and I can imagine I would've loved this when I was a teenager.

Cassandra Clare - City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3) ♥♥♥♥+0,5
Okay, I liked this book soooo much better than City of Ashes. There was a lot of action and stuff going on, I loved finding out the truth about some topics and I like how this book ended. I can't say a lot without spoilers, but Clary and Jace... I'm so happy how this turned out before it got too awkward, lol. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. You can expect it on my TBR for August!

July 31, 2014

Bout of Books 11

I am excited to announce that I am participating in Bout of Books this August!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team
Luckily for me, my two week vacation starts on Monday the 18th, so I'll be spending my first week off from work reading. I hope the weather will be really nice, so I can read in the sunshine. I'm not sure yet what books I'm gonna read this Read-a-Thon, but I'll post a Bout of Books TBR later this month.

July 5, 2014

Book Haul: Free Thrillers!

A couple of weeks ago there was a giveaway on the blog of The American Book Center. You had to let them know your favorite thriller series and why, so I did and I've won! These are the books I've got:


Thanks so much ABC!

July 1, 2014

July TBR

This months 'To Be Read' or TBR pile is maybe a bit to big for me, since almost all these books are humongous, lol. But I'm really looking forward to reading these, so I'll do my best to finish them this month.

The books I want to read in July:
  • Michael Grant - Messenger of Fear (Messenger of Fear #1) This is an ARC and I'm reviewing this book for the American Book Center blog. The American Book Center is my favorite bookstore in Amsterdam. And I feel honored to review books for them. You'll read more of this when my review is up on their blog.
  • Sally Green - Half Bad (Half Life Trilogy #1) Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches. "You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch. You get sick if you stay indoors after dark. You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one. You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen. All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday. Easy."
  • Karin Slaughter - Genesis/Undone (Will Trent, #3) When a tortured young woman enters the trauma center of an Atlanta hospital, Dr. Sara Linton is thrust into a desperate police investigation with Special Agent Will Trent and his partner, Faith Mitchell. Though guarding their own wounds and their own secrets, Sara, Will, and Faith find that they are all that stand between a madman and his next victim.
  • Cassandra Clare - City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3) To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.
  • George R. R. Martin - A Game of Thrones  (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must … and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty. The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne.

I'll be re-reading A Game of Thrones when I'm home. Since it's a huge book, I can't put it in my purse to work! I'll be bringing the other books with me, so I'm going to read two books at the time. I can't wait to read all of these! 

June 29, 2014

June wrap up

Hey there! This month I've only read 5 books, 3 of them were in Dutch.. I've started two, but they'll be in my TBR pile I'm sharing later this week.

What I've read:
  • Victoria Schwab - The Archived (The Archived, #1)
  • Cassandra Clare - City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)
  • Karin Slaughter - Onaantastbaar/Beyond Reach (Grant County, #6)
  • Karin Slaughter - Versplinterd/Fractured (Will Trent, #2)
  • Michel Houellebecq - De wereld als markt en strijd/Whatever

I really liked The Archived. It's an amazing story, it's beautifully written, and all around fantastic characters. The whole idea and world involving the Archive, Keepers, Crew, Librarians, Histories was super awesome. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy mysteries, darker stories, and the supernatural. I'm saving the second book for my vacation and I'm hoping desperatly that they'll publish the 3th book.

I've been re-reading the Karin Slaughter books for a while now, and this month I've finished the Grant County series. I've read the second book in the Will Trent series, I've read the first one not so long ago, so I skipped that one. I love Karin Slaughter's books! Because it's been a while since I've read most of them, the plot is still a surprise for me!

I also read the second book in The Mortal Instruments series and I liked it very much! I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

The other book I've read, De wereld als markt en strijd or Whatever in English, was something different. The book was very easy to read, but a bit to depressing for me. There isn't a plot, it's just a kind of biography from a very simple and sad man with a depression. Not really my cup of tea.

June 6, 2014

Bookish gifts for father's day

Have you found the perfect Fathers day gift yet? No? Well, if you dad loves to read as well, you are at the right address! I've been looking on Etsy for some nice Fathers day gifts and these are the ones I liked most.

Unique Sherlock Holmes Cufflinks made with real Victorian book pages, $33.69 USD. Found here.


Tentacle Pirate Ship Attack Bookends, $64.99 USD. Found here.


Nautical wooden bookmark, $8.78 USD. Found here.


Bookshelf phone case, $9.99 USD. Found here.


Hand Stamped Copper Bookmark, $8.00 USD. Found here.

I hoped I helped you to find something for your dad!

June 2, 2014

June TBR

For June, I've picked four books from my bookcase. I do want to read more books in June, but these ones have a priority. I can't wait to start all these!!


I've been wanting to read Half Bad for a looooong time. And it took a while to arrive here from The Bookdepository. I'm going to read the next book in line by Karin Slaughter. I've got the Dutch edition Onaantastbaar, Beyond Reach in English. The Archived has been high on my list for a while, so this is going to be the month I'm finally be reading this. And off course I'm going to read the next book in The Mortal Instrument series too. City of Ashes.

Have you read any of these books? Please let me know what you thought of them in the comments, I'd really like to hear your thoughts.

May 31, 2014

May wrap up

This month I've finished a total of 6 books. One of them on my e-reader and one of them is a graphic novel, the first graphic novel I've ever read.


So this is what I've read: 
  • P. C. Cast - Divine by Mistake (Partholon, #1)
  • Cassandra Clare - City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)
  • Karin Slaughter - Faithless (Grant County #5) - E-book
  • Ransom Riggs and Cassandra Jean - Miss Peregrine's Home  for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel
  • Rainbow Rowell - Fangirl
  • Alexandra Bracken - The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1)

So, I've started reading Divine by Mistake with the House of Night series in the back of my head, so I thought it was a YA novel. But when I was a little bit more into the book I found out it was an adult novel and I loved it. The female protagonist is super funny and I was pleasantly surprised by this! I'm definitely going to read the rest of the series.

I started to series this month: The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare and The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. I really enjoyed City of Bones and I can't wait to find out more about this world. I really liked The Darkest Minds too, but I had a bit of a slow start, maybe because I had a lot of questions in the beginning. But I liked the writing and I really enjoyed the book till the end.

Fangirl was lovely. So recognizable and cute. I had a good time reading it. It was a very easy read, very fluffy and I've decided that I want to read more by Rainbow Rowell. It's a welcome variation on all the more 'dark' books I read.

Faithless by Karin Slaughter was exciting. This is a re-read, because I'm re-reading all the books before I start the newest ones. I've read all of them a really long time ago, so I don't remember very much about them. I liked this one very much. Better then the one I've read last month.

May 29, 2014

May book haul, part 2

So, I know I've shared a pretty big (for me) haul in the beginning of May, but two more books arrived this week and I'd like to share them with you!

So I've bought Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz and Half Bad by Sally Green. I've heard amazing stories about the both of them, so I'm very excited to start these in the near future.

From Goodreads:

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Half Bad (Half Life Trilogy #1) 
Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches.
You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.
You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.
You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one.

You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.
All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday. 
Easy.

Without their dust jackets.

May 23, 2014

Series review: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

Titles:
• The Alchemyst (2007)
• The Magician (2008)
• The Sorceress (2009)
• The Necromancer (2010)
• The Warlock (2011)
• The Enchantress (2012)

Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

"When in doubt, we follow our hearts. Words can be false, images and sounds can be manipulated. But this...' He tapped his chest, over his heart. 'This is always true”

Michael Scott wrote 6 books with a story that only happened in less than 10 days. This series is the outcome. And because of this, the story is super fast paced and very well constructed. There are a lot of twists and turns. Michael Scott added a lot of interesting subplots that are connected to the main plot. While reading this book, you learn a lot of mythology and legends, because lots of the characters are based on them, manipulated to fit into the story. I think that's awesome. I've always been interested in mythology and I like to learn more about it, through reading fantasy stories (like Percy Jackson).

What I also liked about this series, there were no romance involved. I like this because, I always think 'love' in YA novels is a bit to cheesy to me most of the times. The protagonist did not go and find love, but the character development was strong anyway. They switch sides, you see them develop.

The ending to this series was amazing, I never would have guessed this would happen. But I still have a lot of questions. I wanted to know more about Sophie's future, have a bit of a closure on her story. And there were other subplots I wanted to read more about. We didn't find out the fate of Black Hawk, Billy the Kid or even Machiavelli after the action was all cleared up. There was also a rather vague description of what happened with other characters like Scatty, Joan and Virginia. But besides all of this, I did liked the ending. It surprised me and I like surprises!

And how beautiful are those covers! Each book represents an element, and the title a character from the book. The design is beautiful and the spines look awesome next to each other in my bookcase. To be honest, I bought the first book, just because I thought it looked amazing, lol. Cover artist Michael Warner did a great job.

If you love mythology, folklore, history, fantasy, and action, then I highly recommend this series!

May 7, 2014

May Book Haul

Today my boyfriend texted me that I got a package in the mail, I immediately knew it would be my Book Depository order with lots of books that I've been dying to read! So when I got home, the first thing I did was unboxing my new books, made photos and find a nice spot for them in my bookcases. I'm going to show you the books I've bought and a short description.

This is what I've bought:

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children) by Ransom Riggs
Ransom Riggs's haunting fantasy bestseller adapted to a graphic novel! As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow-impossible though it seems-they may still be alive.

The Archived (The Archived #1) and The Unbound (The Archived #2) by Victoria Schwab
Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Fangirl is a coming-of-age story about fan fiction and first love. It focuses on Cath, who has been a fan of the Simon Snow books her entire life. When both Cath and her twin sister go to college, her sister begins to drift away from the fandom and from Cath, and Cath has to learn to exist outside her comfort zone.

City of Bones and City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (#1 and #2 in the Mortal Instrument series)
Sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is an ordinary teenager, who likes hanging out in Brooklyn with her friends. But everything changes the night she witnesses a murder, committed by a group of teens armed with medieval weaponry. The murderous group are Shadowhunters, secret warriors dedicated to driving demons out of this dimension and back into their own. Drawn inexorably into a terrifying world, Clary slowly begins to learn the truth about her family - and the battle for the fate of the world.

The Darkest Minds and Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken (The Darkest Minds trilogy)
In the six years since being plucked from her old life and placed in a government-run "rehabilitation camp," the only color that has entered sixteen-year-old Ruby's world is gray of the electric fence surrounding it. The mysterious "Kid-Killer" affliction has left most American children dead, but Ruby is not one of them-she's one of the dangerous ones, the ones who lived.
The ones who developed frightening powers of the mind.

I'm so, so excited to start reading them and I don't know which one to start. Maybe I'll have to start a TBR jar too ;)