Review: A Court of Mist and Fury (SPOILERS)

I have a lot of thoughts about this book. If you haven’t read this book or the first book in the series A Court of Thorns and Roses then you need to leave now and read it. I AM SERIOUS. If you haven’t heard of Sarah J. Maas yet and her greatness you must have been on another planet for the past few years.

Anyway, this review definitely contains spoilers. SO IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK GO READ IT! And then come back and we can discuss ;)

HERE WE GO. BEAR WITH ME.

The first thing I need to get off my chest is that Tamlin is an asshole. Ok now that that’s out we can continue.

“I was the butcher of innocents, and the savior of the land.” 

The story starts off with Feyre being back at the Spring Court preparing for her wedding to Tamlin. Feyre is not the same Feyre we knew in A Court of Thorns and Roses. She is extremely weak and also extremely negative in the view of herself. She’s hardly eating and every night she has vivid and disturbing dreams about her time Under the Mountain. Tamlin has offered no help to Feyre; he lets her continue on this path towards self-destruction. Honestly, I think he’s just choosing to ignore it because he wants to return to normalcy. Then there’s the high priestess, Ianthe, another character I hate with a burning passion. She manipulates Feyre into thinking she’s helping her but she’s really not. I was feeling something was going to happen between Tamlin and Ianthe because of the way Feyre described them together. Lucien is still around as well but I really didn’t like Lucien in this book either. I understand that Tamlin is his best friend and that he would do anything for him but there comes a point in friendship when you need to step back and see that what your friend is doing is wrong.

“For him, I had done this—for him, I’d gladly wrecked myself and my immortal soul.” 

AND THEN FINALLY RHYSAND APPEARS! I could care less about everything else that was going on in the Spring Court, I wanted Rhysand to finally collect on his bargain with Feyre and whisk her away from Tamlin. And Rhysand did just that (and at the perfect time I might add). The whole wedding scene was amazing. And then when I read about the red rose petals I was ready to throw my book across the room. Ianthe is horrible.

"My vision narrowed on him, on my High Lord, his wide eyes glistening as I stepped onto the soft grass, white rose petals scattered down it—

And red ones.

Like drops of blood amongst the white, red petals had been sprayed across the path ahead.
I forced my gaze up, to Tamlin, his shoulders back, head high.
So unaware of the true extent of how broken and dark I was inside. How unfit I was to be clothed in white when my hands were so filthy.
Everyone else was thinking it. They had to be.” 

Feyre continues to visit Rhysand once a month and then there’s the moment that changes everything. The moment when Tamlin seriously messes up. HE TRAPS FEYRE IN THE HOUSE! WHEN HE KNOWS THAT IS THE LAST THING THAT SHE NEEDS! But once again Rhysand (and Mor) save Feyre and she is taken to the Night Court where she chooses to stay for the remainder of the novel (until the end of course). Feyre grows stronger in the Night Court, especially in Velaris. Once she meets Rhysand’s Inner Circle, Cassian, Azriel, Mor, and Amren; Feyre comes alive. I LOVE THEM WITH ALL MY HEART.

We soon find out that Rhysand and Feyre are mates, which I’ve believed since last May when I read ACOTAR. Back then I failed to understand how Feyre and Rhys could be mates because at the time I still liked Tamlin. But yeah Whitney is totally off the Tamlin train and I’m sure most of you are as well. ESPECIALLY, because of what happens at the end of the book. Tamlin is an idiot.

Ok now some of my thoughts.

DOES ANYONE ELSE SEE THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE SHATTER ME SERIES AND THIS SERIES?

We all loved Adam in the beginning but then by the time Ignite Me came around, he was an asshole (just like Tamlin). Then we all fell in love with the supposed bad guy, Warner. It may seem random but this is what I was thinking about when I reading ACOMAF…..

Another thing I want to discuss is Tamlin. Even though I despise him now I can’t help but analyze the relationship with him and Feyre and how it went so so wrong.

Personally, I did not enjoy ACOTAR as much as ACOMAF because of Feyre. I did not like her character in the first book because she portrays herself for most of the story as a weak human who likes to paint pictures and walk around the Spring Court. I understand that she had struggles in her life with her family and perhaps she deserved this time of rest. However, her relationship with Tamlin occurred way too fast for me. But in the end of ACOTAR we really see Feyre’s strength and what she’s capable of and that’s when I actually started to like her. And so when Tamlin brings Feyre back to the Spring Court he thinks that he can still treat her in the way that she wanted to be treated in the beginning of ACOTAR, as a poor, weak, human girl that needs to be protected. Many people seem to believe that Tamlin does the things he does in ACOMAF because he wants to use Feyre for her power. Yes that could be a part of it. But I honestly agree with Feyre and her understanding of the matter, which is that Feyre is no longer the person that Tamlin knew and he is unable to understand this. Either because he can’t or because he won’t.

“That girl who had needed to be protected, who had craved stability and comfort…she had died Under the Mountain. I had died, and there had been no one to protect me from those horrors before my neck snapped. So I had done it myself. And I would not, could not, yield that part of me that had awoken and transformed Under the Mountain.” 

I’ve also seen a lot of people giving up on this series because Tamlin is so “changed” and unlike himself compared to first book. Were we reading the same book? Tamlin has always lacked control, THERE ARE NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF IT IN ACOTAR. And it makes sense that he has even less control in the second book because of what he experienced Under the Mountain. I’m not rooting for Tamlin here, but he has also experienced a small amount of trauma at the hands of Amrantha. He now wants to protect Feyre, Lucien, and the rest of his court at all costs. People also are saying that it is “unrealistic” for Feyre to make the switch to Rhysand so quickly. What the what? How often does a person stay with a significant other for the rest of their life? NOT OFTEN. People CHANGE. Relationships EVOLVE. To me this extremely realistic. Also Feyre and Rhysand are MATES. BUILD A BRIDGE AND GET OVER IT.

Sarah J. Maas is a genius. She fooled us all with the first book. But this book….THIS BOOK is next level. In a way ACOTAR feels like a novella because it wasn’t the real REAL story that we were hungry for. I know this review was all over the place but my brain is mush because of the finals I’ve been taking this week. I wish I could write more but there’s so much to say and I can’t even put it into words.

Yes, I’ve started to reread ACOMAF. And no, I really can’t wait A YEAR for the next book.

HAPPY READING FRIENDS!! 

REVIEW: Walk on Earth a Stranger (MINOR SPOILERS)

"The presence of gold fades with distance, but never leaves me. Maybe, in California, it will infuse me constantly, like the warmth of my own private sun." 

This is the first book I've read by Rae Carson and it certainly will not be the last. I loved her writing and the characters she created. She did not hold back in this book when it came the history and the events that occurred within the story. Life, death, violence, anger, HISTORY, all of these things came together to create a truly magnificent story. 

“’This nugget is nothing, Lee. Even your magic is nothing. You’re a good girl and the best daughter. And that? That’s something.’

‘Yes, Daddy.’” 

The story is told in the perspective of our butt-kicking heroine, Leah Westfall. We first meet Leah in the woods of Dahlonega, Georgia in January of 1849. The Mexican-American War has just ended a year earlier and one of the results of this was President James K. Polk acquiring the California territory. This would forever change the United States as well as Leah Westfall’s life. Leah’s parents are tragically murdered in the beginning of the story. After this event Leah’s Uncle Hiram comes into the picture. He intends to take over Leah’s home and life, and Leah sees that the freedom she experienced with her parents is quickly being taken away. The only way she can truly be free is if she heads west to find her best friend Jefferson and escape into California where her Uncle Hiram has no power over her. So Leah disguises herself as a boy and she starts on a journey that will be extremely tough but also fulfilling in Leah’s search for herself. 

“So it’s now, with my own fire crackling, my lips greasy with the squirrel I just ate, and the night echoing with the distant yip of a coyote that I miss Daddy most. He should be here with me. We should have been on this adventure together.” 

One part that really struck me was when Leah was travelling alone in the beginning of the novel. She is such a strong character and person but the reader still must remember that she is still grieving for both her parents and the life she had before. Rae Carson made Leah’s emotions so real and her grief actually made me emotional. A lot of this book made me emotional actually. However, we see Leah eventually find Jefferson and find people that she comes to care for and care for her. 

“Trust someone, Mama said. Her dying words, burned into my heart. But she was wrong. When there’s gold to be had, you can’t trust anyone. Not a single soul.” 

Leah has a secret power. She can sense gold, whether it’s in the Earth or it’s a necklace around someone’s neck. It is a dangerous ability for any person to have because of the lust for gold during the California Gold Rush. This lust is partly what drove her Uncle to murder her parents and she knows she has to keep this a secret from everyone, including her best friend Jefferson. Although Leah begins the story unwilling to trust anyone, she learns along the way that there are people she can trust. Her growth throughout the novel is shown in her interactions with Jefferson and the other families that she travels with to California. I loved the entire journey that Leah was on. It brought me back to my Oregon Trail days. I was OBSESSED with that game when I was little kid. My mom allowed me to play on our dinosaur of a computer for only an hour a day and Oregon Trail was my go to game. Rae Carson made me feel like I was there on the trail with Leah. It was so realistic and actually really historically accurate. I am a history major and I’ve learned my fair share of American history. It’s never been my favorite history to learn about but I’ve always loved learning about this era with the California Gold Rush and the move west. The scene that really killed me was the buffalo scene because that kind of thing actually happened. The measles blankets also really made me angry, because again it’s something that people actually did. Rae Carson does an amazing job of including real history in this story and it was such a breath of fresh air. 

“Seems like I’ve been waiting for you to come around my whole life, Lee. But a man can’t wait forever and stay a man.” 

I just want to say a few things about the relationship between Leah and Jefferson. First of all, I loved their relationship. They have been best friends forever but now that they’re older it seems like it could be more. Rae Carson made their relationship develop very slowly and that was so great. We hardly have any romance in this novel, it’s not the main focus and that’s what helps make this novel great. I totally thought Jefferson and Therese were going to have something and I was going to get annoyed but that’s not the case. I can’t wait to see where this relationship goes.

“There’s not a place in the whole world where everyone isn’t willing—no, eager—to give up a girl to a man.” 

Can we talk about the feminist undertones in this book? Obviously, we can talk about Leah and her independence but we can also really analyze Becky Joyner as well. I even like Mrs. Joyner now! She was a you-know-what in the beginning but she really grew on me. Her unpleasantness stems from her husband, in my opinion. And once he dies I think she is able to find that independence that all women in their lives want. Leah’s transformation is really at the forefront of the novel but as a reader I also loved watching Becky’s transformation as well. She is a mother who cares only for her children and she does everything in her power to protect them even if that means to be rude and harsh to people like Leah. However, over the course of this journey Becky Joyner learns more about being a woman and that there’s more to life than being a wife.

This book is one of the only books where I haven’t been annoyed with a single character. Yeah I didn’t like some of the bad guys but they all worked in the story and I enjoy reading about them. I just really can’t wait to read the next book. I love all of these characters and their relationships with one another. I would recommend it to everyone, especially if you love American history and are in the mood for a journey because this book really takes you on one. I feel like I’ve written an essay but this book has really had an impact on me. My only regret is that I wish I read it sooner!

“I’ve never felt so far from God’s grace. I suppose I am a stranger walking on Earth, but I’m no son of God. I’m no son at all.” 

Happy reading, friends! ☺

IMPORTANT BOOKS

Since it's been awhile since I wrote a really personal post I decided to look around the internet for some blogging ideas. I came across a tag called the "10 Books/Series that had an Impact on You" tag. I've always wanted to discuss some of the books that I have really had an effect on me and this is the perfect time to do it! Here we go!

10. The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer

WAIT A MINUTE. Just hear me out. Way back in 2007 when I was in 7th grade this series was just getting big. I remember my english teacher recommending it to my class and we all just brushed it off. But then one girl (who never EVER read) started to read it, then another girl read it, and another, and another, and pretty soon EVERYONE was reading this series. My grade hated each other because we had A LOT of cliques but once we started reading Twilight we became a little bit more unified. I read the first book over and over again. That was the first time I had read a book more than once. My copy of Twilight was so worn it was falling apart and you could tell what pages I would always flip to. I remember when I played softball I would sneakily read the Twilight series while sitting on the bench (which seemed to be a lot). Rather than paying attention to the game I was reading about Bella and Edward and the crazy things that were going on in their world. Everyone knocks Stephenie Meyer and this series but we are ALL guilty of reading it and being obsessed with it. You can't deny that you either bought a copy of Twilight or borrowed it from the library. After everyone started making fun of it I kind of just forgot about the series and also pretended that I thought it was stupid it too (typical high school peer pressure). It wasn't until I went to college that I realized that people enjoyed Twilight and while we could laugh at some parts of it we always remembered the impact it had on us. For me Twilight helped me branch out into the paranormal YA genre as well as in to the YA romance genre. Before I wasn't really interested in either of these things but after reading Twilight I was. I know that Twilight isn't some great classic masterpiece of literature but for me and many others it had an important impact in our growth and also helped make friends and connect with people.

9. Crank by Ellen Hopkins

This is another book that I read when I was in middle school. I was in 7th grade when I picked this book up. My mom and I had visited my sister up at her college (the college I attend now haha) and we took a trip to Barnes and Noble. I saw Crank, picked it up (because the cover was interesting) read the back of it, and I immediately decided I wanted to read it. It was completely different from anything I had ever read before because of the way the book was structured. Ellen Hopkins writes her books in free verse rather than the prose which most writers write in. This is a really dark book that deals with addiction and its effects on people. Honestly, it might have been too much for me to read at 13 but I loved it. I may not have understood a lot of it but it was interesting to me. When you grow up in a sheltered bubble of a town like I did, these kind of books just really spark something in you. I think about this book from time to time and all of Ellen Hopkins' other books as well. I recommend all of them. Crank will always be my favorite because it was the first book I read by her but it is closely tied with her other book Identical, WHICH EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ!

 

8. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

This is a book that I read only last year but it will always stick with me. Jandy Nelson's writing is beautiful and in this book she constructed an amazing story of love, acceptance, truth, and so much more. It's an important book because I can relate to it and I connected with the characters in a way that only happens in really special books. After I read this I wanted EVERYONE to read it and I still do. It will always be my favorite contemporary book.

 

7. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

I still remember the day this book was put into my hands. When I was in fifth grade, I read a lot of books that were and are still really important to me, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was one of them. I've read this book many times since I first read it and it really never gets old. Like Harry Potter, this is a book that gives me so many feelings of nostalgia and just happiness. The adventures in Narnia were something that I loved reading about when I was kid. 

 

6. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 

The first classic that I loved. I saw the 2011 film adaptation before I read the book, but then I read the book and I was amazed. Charlotte Bronte and her sisters are amazing writers and I love everything they've written. Jane Eyre is especially important to me because I felt connected to Jane and her story. I've read it two times now and each time I find something new to analyze and think about. 

5. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

This was the first John Green book I ever read. I had a friend back in 8th grade that loved John Green and constantly told me that I had to read his books. She would carry around a tattered copy of Looking For Alaska to every class because she had met John Green in Boston and had it signed (this was way back in 2008 before he got really REALLY big). My friend at the time told me to read Looking For Alaska but at the time I just wasn't reading as much as I had used to. Instead she told me to check out his YouTube channel TheVlogBrothers. I used to watch every video. I loved Hank and John and their videos were so interesting and funny. So after awhile of watching I finally picked up one of his books, An Abundance of Katherines, and I loved it. When someone asks me what my favorite John Green novel is I always say An Abundance of Katherines because it was the first book of his I read and it began love of YA contemporary literature. My sister and I began to bond over his books and I was able to find so many other books to read because of John Green. I didn't really know about YA until I read An Abundance of Katherines and the rest of John Green's books so I'm really grateful for that friend who kept pestering me to read his books. She always said "I know you'll love his books! Just read one! Then you'll be hooked!" and she was definitely right. I will always be a John Green fan and I can't wait to read anything else he writes. 

4. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Another very important book that I first read in the fifth grade. I get emotional just thinking about it. This was the first book that ever made me cry. I remember we had to finish the book for homework over the weekend and I couldnt believe what happened. I won't get into spoilers because I don't know who has read it and who hasn't but this book is a classic. I really would recommend to anyone, young or old. 

3. The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

This is my favorite YA fantasy series. I read the first book in one day when I was a freshman in college. It was a snowy day and I was stuck in my dorm and I decided to read this. I didn't expect to read it one sitting but I was so invested in this book that I could not put it down. I remember that my roommate at the time actually was worried for me because I hadn't left the room the entire day because I was reading. Since then I've read anything and everything that Sarah J. Maas has written. Celaena Sardothien is the one character in literature that I really want to be like. And I really have never wanted to be a character but I LOVE HER. I like to think she is my spirit animal haha! Anyway, I love this series and I probably always will.

2. The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

This is another very important YA fantasy/paranormal series for me. I read this the summer of 2013 before I began my first year of college. I read the first five books in the series in about a two weeks and then I read The Infernal Devices trilogy, which is just as important to me. This was the first fantasy series that I read since Harry Potter that I really loved and wanted more of. Everything was kind of eh at the time. But this series really opened my eyes to the genre of fantasy again and I was able to get back into books again. Because of this series I began to use goodreads again, which I hadn't used since 2010 at the time. Now here I am in 2016 with a bunch of goodreads friends and a book blog! It's funny how things change. 

1. The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter can never not be number 1 in my book. It started it all for me. I hated reading when I was a child and I still remember the day my mother handed me a paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and told me to try reading it. I was in first grade and I remember taking the book and putting it on my desk and saying to myself 'I'll never read this book or any book!'. But then months later when I was told to clean my room, I found the book buried under all of my papers and toys. I don't know what made me try reading it but I did and I fell in love. I read the first book, then the second, the third, the fourth, and so on. I still remember where I was when I read each book. I read the fourth book in Florida when we were on vacation and I remember scrambling to find a bookstore that had the fifth book. We had the all the books at home but they were hardcover and my mother wouldn't let me bring them with me to Florida so I had to buy it AGAIN in Florida. My family and I were supposed to be on a relaxing vacation and all I cared about was getting the next Harry Potter book. Everyone loves Harry Potter so we can all relate to how we feel about it and what it means to each of us. 

Most Anticipated Books of 2016

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FRIENDS!! I hope you all have a happy and healthy new year. To celebrate, I decided to come up with a list of books that I am most looking forward to in 2016. Enjoy!

12. The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May

Release Date: June 7, 2016

I have been waiting for this book for forever. I read the first book, The Falconer, exactly a year ago and loved it! You can find my review for it here. This book actually came out already in the UK but I decided to be patient and wait for it to be released here in the states. Mostly because I like the American covers better ;). Anyway, this series has to do with the fae set in Scotland during the Victorian Era. It is a great fantasy/steampunk read. I don't really read a lot of steampunk but I really enjoyed this. 

11. The Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard 

Release Date: February 9, 2016


I really wasn't crazy about the first book in this series, Red Queen, but I am willing to give this series another shot. This series takes the two genres of science fiction and fantasy and mashes them together, which I find really interesting. I only gave the first book three stars and you can find my review for it here. But I really want to see where the author goes with this series because in my experience if the first book isn't good, the second one is usually amazing. This has been the case with a lot of series I've read like Vampire Academy, The Lunar Chronicles, Mara Dyer, etc. Each of them had a not so great first book but the second book was DYNAMITE. So I'm really hoping this is the case with The Glass Sword. Also I just really love these book covers, and that really shouldn't be a reason why I want a book BUT IT IS. 

10. Walk the Edge by Kate McGarry

Release Date: March 29, 2016

This is the second book in Kate McGarry's Thunder Road series. The first book is called Nowhere But Here and it was just a really fun and addicting contemporary romance. It kind of reminds of Sons of Anarchy but a little more tame. Walk the Edge is a continuation of the series but with different protagonists. I'm so excited for this. These books are definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. I tried reading McGarry's other series starting with the first book Pushing the Limits but I never really got into to it. The story didn't really pull me in nor did the rest of the series. However, this Thunder Road series is definitely addicting. MOTORCYCLES! BAD BOYS! How could this possibly go wrong? Answer: It can't so read it!

9. Blood Passage by Heather Demetrios

Release Date: March 1, 2016

I NEED THIS BOOK. Heather Demetrios is seriously one of my favorite authors. I love all of her books. And she's so diverse in what she writes about. Whether it's fantasy like the Dark Caravan Trilogy or it's her contemporary books like I'll Meet You There, Demetrios is a fantastic writer. Blood Passage is the second book in the Dark Caravan Trilogy which is a fantasy series that deals with jinnis and other mythology. I read the fist book, Exquisite Captive , last year and really loved it. I'm really excited to get my hands on this because it was pushed back and it feels like I've been waiting forever for it. 

8. The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh 

Release Date: May 3, 2016

If you know me and follow my reviews, you'd know that one of my favorite books of 2015 was The Wrath and the Dawn. The Rose and the Dagger is the sequel to this book and I am so so excited to read it. This series is a retelling of the classic tale of A Thousand and One Nights and it's so beautifully written. Also the books themselves are just beautiful. You can find my review for the first book here.

7. Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke 

Release Date: March 22, 2016

April Genevieve Tuckolke is the author of one my favorite YA gothic/horror books, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. When I found out that she was coming out with a new book I knew it had to be on my most anticipated list of 2016. I love her writing because it's so different and provoking. The summary on goodreads makes it sound like this book is going to be like Mara Dyer, We Were Liars, The Virgin Suicides, and a bunch of other works. I love all of those books so I'm sure I'll love this.

6. The Last Star by Rick Yancey

Release Date: May 24, 2016

This is the last book in the 5th Wave Trilogy (which was originally meant to be a 6 book series, still a little mad about that). I love this series and for some reason a lot of people do not like it. I kind of can see why some people wouldn't like it but I'm obsessed. The 5th Wave is the first book, the second book is The Infinite Sea, and this third book will be the epic conclusion. The 5th Wave actually was made into a movie that's coming out in January, which I'm totally going to check out. This is a straight science fiction/dystopia series that involves aliens and action...ALL THE GOOD STUFF. I really wish there were going to be more books.

5. A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir 

Release Date: August 30, 2016

This is the sequel to Sabaa Tahir's debut novel An Ember in the Ashes, which was one of my top books of 2015. Roman history and YA fantasy go hand in hand in these books and I lOVE IT. I'm really excited to see where the author goes with this story in the next book. I know it will be epic.

4. My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Release Date: June 7, 2016

This is kind of a random book on my list but I'm really really excited for it. Lady Jane Grey is one of my favorite historical figures, partly because of the film Lady Jane with Helena Bonham Carter (GO WATCH IT) and partly because the Tudor history has always interested me. Kings and Queens will never fail to capture my attention. 

3. Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: November 8, 2016

IT'S MARISSA MEYER, NEED I SAY ANYTHING MORE? I am so flipping excited for this book. We now have a summary on goodreads and we now know it's the background story of the Queen of Hearts of Wonderland. We find out why she's so evil and understand her character. Oh man I can't wait.

2. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: May 3, 2016

I loved A Court of Thorns and Roses so I can't wait for the sequel. A lot of people seem to think that something between Feyre and Ryhsand is going to happen and I have to agree. Judging from the end of ACOTAR Feyre and Tamlin may be no more....It's kind of like what happened in the Shatter Me series! We all loved Adam and Juliette, and then there was Warner...who I HATED and then by the second book I loved him and hated Adam. And thank the Lord, Juliette pulled a MAJOR switch in her love interest. I think this is what will happen in ACOMAF and I'm really excited to see it. Yes I love Tamlin but I also LOVE Rhysand.

2. Untitled (Throne of Glass 5) by Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: Late 2016 (as far as we know)

I also can't wait for the 5th book in the Sarah J. Maas' Throne of glass series! We don't have a cover or a release date yet but I'm sure it's coming soon. Gah so excited. 

LAST BUT NOT LEAST....

1. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: March 8, 2016

DO YOU KNOW HOW EXCITED I AM FOR THIS BOOK? WE ARE FINALLY GETTING A NEW CASSANDRA CLARE BOOK! We have been waiting for this since City of Heavenly Fire came out and the Mortal Instruments series ended, THAT WAS IN MAY 2014. So I really need another shadowhunter book ASAP. This originally was supposed to come out in the Fall of 2015 but was  pushed back until March 2016. It's only a few months away so I'll try to be patient! This book will have new characters who we first met in City of Heavenly Fire who will have grown up since then. I think we will also see some of our favorite characters from TMI as well in this book. I NEED IT NOW!

There you have it! My most anticipated books of 2016! I really can't wait to get my hands on all of these books! What books are you looking forward this year?

December/Christmas Book Haul

This is a mixture of books that I've gotten this month and a few that I got at the end of November. I haven't done a book haul since the summer so this is long overdue. I have a lot of books here! Prepare yourself, here we go!

1. Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning
I actually just bought this book yesterday with one of my Barnes and Noble gift cards! This is the fifth book in the Fever series. This series is ADDICTING. I started the first book and finished it in a day. I couldn't stop reading! The first book is Darkfever and you should really check it out. In my opinion the series is like an adult version of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series. Romance, action, THE FAE, you have it all in this series.



2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 
This is one of my favorite classics. My roommate got me the special Penguin edition for Christmas and I love it with all my heart! It's so beautiful my picture really doesn't do it justice.





3. Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder
I got these three books for Christmas! I read the first book about a year ago on my kindle and I loved it. For some reason I just haven't gotten around to reading the other books. A lot of people love this series so I'm hoping I'll be able to finish it over my winter break. But I think I need to reread the first book because I have no idea what happened. All I can remember is that it's a lot like Throne of Glass and I loved Valek. Yep, that's all I remember.

4. Frostfire and Ice Kissed  by Amanda Hocking
I got both of these books really cheap on BookOutlet (the BEST book buying website). I started the first book, Frostfire, but I kind of got sidetracked with finals and other books (like the Fever series ;)). This is another young adult fantasy read and I've been told I should read Hocking's other series first before I read this one. I might do that because I only got 20 pages into Frostfire and I was a little confused.

5. Jackaby by William Ritter
I've only heard great things about this book. I also purchased this on BookOutlet and I'm so happy I found it on there. I've heard it's kind of like a mix of Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes set in the late 19th century. I'm really excited about this one because I love books that are set in the Victorian era in England, it's an addiction. I hope I like it but honestly I already know I will.

6. The House by Christina Lauren 
I got this book way back in November I think. This was kind of like an impulse buy because I wasn't planning on buying it but the blurb made it sound so good! I started a little of it but I wasn't really grabbed by it, partly because there was insta-love, which I hate. I'm hoping to give it another chance because it seems creepy and interesting.

7. Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Another book that I've heard great things about! A lot of people have been telling me this was their favorite book of 2015, so I really need to read it. It's supposed to be sort of like a fantasy mixed in with historical fiction, which is a combination that I always love. I think it takes place in the American west in the Gold Rush era. I've only read one other young adult western and that was Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman. I think westerns have the potential to become the next big YA market because there really aren't a lot of them out there.

8. Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin
I JUST BOUGHT THIS YESTERDAY AND I AM SO EXCITED. I'll probably read this once I'm done with Shadowfever....The basic concept is that the story takes place after World War II and instead of the Allies winning the war, the Axis Powers have won the war. Meaning that Hitler is still alive and in control. I've always wanted to read a book that has to do with an alternate reality where Germany didn't lose WWII. Last semester I took a class focusing on Nazi Germany so I am excited to put my knowledge from that into reading this book.  

9. A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston 
I've been reading this since November....but I never hauled it which is why I am including it in this post. I've really been having a tough time trying to finish books lately. This is really good it's just that I started the Fever series and ughhhh. This book is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights like The Wrath and the Dawn (one of my favorite books of 2015). It's really good I just once again got pulled down with work and distracted by other books. But I will finish it soon!

10. Instructions for the End of the World by Jamie Kain
I got this book for Christmas and I really wanted it! I've been seeing ok reviews about it but I really want to read it and see for myself how it is. The summary clicked with me and I was immediately interested. It has to do with a girl and her sister who are moved to a rural area because their father believes that the end of the world is upon them. This book is definitely a contemporary mixed in with some adventure. I really can't wait to read it.

11. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
I'm a little late on this one....Do I even need to explain this book? I suppose I do. This is kind of a spin-off of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. If you've read  that then you'll completely understand the premise of this book but I do not think that you need to read Fangirl in order to read this book. I love Rainbow Rowell's writing so I'm really excited to read this.

12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay
IT'S JUST SO BEAUTIFUL. If you saw my holiday book tag you'd know that I really wanted this book for Christmas. Well, I got it and I can't stop looking at it. It's magnificent.

Before I end this haul I also want to share this really amazing bookmark that my sister gave me for Christmas!

I love mermaids so she found this awesome mermaid tale bookmark! It came all the way from Ukraine, the store is called MyBOOKmark! You should check out the crafter's etsy here! And she's having a sale so I'd totally check it out!! :)


There you have it folks my December book haul! Hope you enjoyed it! What books did you get this month?