July Wrap Up & August TBR

        Look who actually read all the books that were on her TBR for July!!! I had hoped to read a little bit more since it's summer, but I've been doing some other stuff so I didn't really have as much time as I thought I would. Anyways, here they are!

1- The Trials of Apollo - The Dark Prophecy (3.5/5)
          The second book in the Trials of Apollo series finally came out! Not gonna lie, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did the first one. The plot wasn't as intriguing, and it felt a little bit boring and monotonous at times. I still loved Rick's writing and the humour, but I was expecting a little bit more. I had hoped to see more old characters returning, there were some, but not enough to satisfy me. The ending though left me quite intrigued and I can't wait to read the next one. 

2- Autonomous (2.5/5)
      Check out my review of Autonomous by clicking here.

3- The Raven Boys (5/5)
         I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to do a review on the whole series once I'm done!

AUGUST TBR

The Dream Thieves
        Couldn't help myself and ended up buying the second and third book in the Raven Cycle series!



Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after…



Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs. 

The trick with found things, though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.

The Raven King

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.






As You Wish
       Another ARC that I was sent by a publisher. The story sounds really interesting and I can't wait to read it and review it for you guys!

In the sandy Mojave Desert, Madison is a small town on the road between nothing and nowhere. But Eldon wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, because in Madison, everyone gets one wish—and that wish always comes true.

Some people wish for money, some people wish for love, but Eldon has seen how wishes have broken the people around him. And with the lives of his family and friends in chaos, he’s left with more questions than answers. Can he make their lives better? How can he be happy if the people around him aren’t? And what hope is there for any of them if happiness isn’t an achievable dream? Doubts build, leading Eldon to a more outlandish and scary thought: maybe you can’t wish for happiness…maybe, just maybe, you have to make it for yourself.

June Wrap Up & July TBR

                              

                                  
          Well, this is bad... Just a little bit. I have an excuse though! So much happened this last month: There were finals, I graduated high school, went on a trip with my best friends... I had other things to worry about, not that reading isn't important, but still. 

1- Dragonsong (4/5)
         I read this book for my book club and I really enjoyed it! I rarely read fantasy books like this, so I can't really compare to others... But this book was so easy to read and I quite liked the author's writing style. The story brings out that desire to see actual dragons and to own one. The main character was a likeable girl. I recommend it if your looking for a small fantasy book, particularly if you, like me, aren't very familiar with the genre.
        This book was on my June TBR so √

2- She Myself and I (4/5)
       You can check out my review of She Myself and I here.
       

JULY TBR

The Trials of Apollo: The Dark Prophecy
         I actually started reading this last month, and got half way through it. So I'm gonna count it as a wrap up for this month. Anyways, super excited to dive back in this awesome world and see what awaits for Apollo this time.

Zeus has punished his son Apollo—god of the sun, music, archery, poetry, and more—by casting him down to earth in the form of a gawky, acne-covered sixteen-year-old mortal named Lester. The only way Apollo can reclaim his rightful place on Mount Olympus is by restoring several Oracles that have gone dark. What is affecting the Oracles, and how can Apollo do anything about them without his powers?

After experiencing a series of dangerous—and frankly, humiliating—trials at Camp Half-Blood, Apollo must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America. Fortunately, what he lacks in godly graces he's gaining in new friendships—with heroes who will be very familiar to fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series. Come along for what promises to be a harrowing, hilarious, and haiku-filled ride. . . .

Autonomous 
      Yet another book I got from a publisher. This story sounds so freaking cool. I can't wait to read it.

William Mackler is about to go on the road trip of a lifetime. After winning a contest-and nearly dying in the process-he becomes the proud owner of Autonomous, a driverless car that knows where you want to go before you do. #Worthit! To sweeten the deal he gets to pick three friends to go with him on a cross-country trip. For William, a reckless adrenaline junkie, this is the perfect last hurrah before he and his friends go their separate ways after graduation. But Autonomous is more than just a car without a steering wheel. It's capable of downloading all of the passengers' digital history-from the good, to the bad, to the humiliating. The information is customized into an itinerary that will expose a few well-kept secrets, but it will also force William to face some inner demons of his own. Think you know Autonomous? The real question is, how much does Autonomous know about you?

The Raven Boys 
       Didn't get to read it last month even though it was on my TBR for June. Hopefully I'll get to it in July.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

May Wrap Up & June TBR

              

    Goodreads is saying that I'm two books behind schedule for my reading challenge but I've been reading a good amount of books so Goodreads can't you just be happy for me??

1- Everything, Everything (4.5/5)

         You can check out my review of Everything, Everything here. 

         This book was on my May TBR so √

2- Revealed (2/5)

        This was a reread. I love the House of Night series and the worldbuilding; however, the last few books were just dragging on the series and ended up not being good. (This is book number 11!) Zoey was incredibly annoying the whole time and I just wanted it to be over. 

3- Redeemed (3/5)

         Finally the end of the series. It was nice finally getting a closure, but it could definitely have been better. I just heard that there will be a new series, following months after the events of this last book. I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's nice getting to see the characters doing other things besides fighting Neferet but also I think 12 books and a bunch of companion novellas is enough.

4- The Warrior Heir (2/5)

         I remember when this came out and everyone on Booktube was talking about it. This was on my book club list and I suggested that we read it and now I kinda regret it. It was really boring, and pretty much nothing happened until the end. The characters were annoying and a lot of things were predictable. I heard that second book is way better so I might give it a shot one day...

JUNE TBR

Dragonsong

         My book club decided to read 2 books this month and this is one of them. I haven't read many books with dragons in it and I have a friend that absolutely adores dragons, so I should probably read more of them. They must be good since she loves them so! I just started it and I'm actually quite enjoying it. 

For centuries, the world of Pern has faced a destructive force known as Thread. But the number of magnificent dragons who have protected this world and the men and women who ride them are dwindling.

As fewer dragons ride the winds and destruction falls from the sky, Menolly has only one dream: to sing, play, and weave the music that comes to her so easily—she wishes to become a Harper. But despite her great talents, her father believes that a young girl is unworthy of such a respected position and forbids her to pursue her dreams. So Menolly runs away, taking shelter in a cave by the sea. Miraculously, she happens upon nine fire lizards that could possibly save her world...and change her life forever.

The Dark Prophecy

       I'm so excited to read this!! I really liked The Hidden Oracle and I can't wait to see what Apollo will confront next!

Zeus has punished his son Apollo—god of the sun, music, archery, poetry, and more—by casting him down to earth in the form of a gawky, acne-covered sixteen-year-old mortal named Lester. The only way Apollo can reclaim his rightful place on Mount Olympus is by restoring several Oracles that have gone dark. What is affecting the Oracles, and how can Apollo do anything about them without his powers?

After experiencing a series of dangerous—and frankly, humiliating—trials at Camp Half-Blood, Apollo must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America. Fortunately, what he lacks in godly graces he's gaining in new friendships—with heroes who will be very familiar to fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series. Come along for what promises to be a harrowing, hilarious, and haiku-filled ride. . . .

The Raven Boys

       My friend gave me this book for my birthday, and I've been wanting to read it for a really long time so I'm finally going to!

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.SaveSaveSaveSave

January Wrap-Up and February TBR

Happy New Year everyone!! I hope all of you get to read amazing books this year! I plan on reading 50 books in 2017, the same goal I set for myself for last year. The month of January started well, I read the three books that were on my TBR for the month! Here they are:



1- Night 
    
   I don't really want to rate this book since it's a true story and all. I don't feel comfortable doing so.
But I can still say that this was a very well written book. With a good pace and, although really sad, super interesting as well. The ending felt a bit rushed compared to the rest of the story, but I learned a lot about the terrible thing that was the Holocaust, from someone who was in a concentration camp.


2- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - The Original Screenplay (5/5)

      It was absolutely amazing to read the screenplay of this incredible movie. I have never read a full screenplay before, so it was very insightful and really cool to see how the movie came to life from this script. I love the cover and the little illustrations in it. I hope she publishes the screenplays of the next movies in the series as well. 




3- Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor (4/5)
     
   As some of you know, I am not the biggest fan of Magnus Chase. (I have a review of the first book if you wanna check it out) I went to Rick Riordan's book tour for the Hammer of Thor and it was really cool. I definitely liked this one more than the first. I've moved on from my initial shock of comparing it to the Percy Jackson series. I know I shouldn't compare them! But I can't help it! This novel was funny and entertaining through out. Unfortunately it wasn't one of those books where I can't put it down. I have to admit I spent one or two days without even opening it. But overall it was a good read and I recommend it if you are a Riordan fan. 


FEBRUARY TBR

Oblivion
   I read Obsidian almost three years ago (I can't believe it's been that long!) when I got a free ebook copy. I saw this recently for a very cheap price on Kindle, so I bought it. It is Obsidian, but from Daemon's point of view. I have yet to read the next books in the series. Hopefully by reading this one, I will get excited to read the rest.

I knew the moment Katy Swartz moved in next door, there was going to be trouble. Lots of it. 

And trouble’s the last thing I need, since I’m not exactly from around here. My people arrived on Earth from Lux, a planet thirteen billion light years away. Plus, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that humans can’t be trusted. We scare them. We can do things they only dream about, and honestly, we make them look weak as hell. ‘Cuz they are. 

But Kat is getting to me in ways no one else has, and I can't stop myself from wanting her—or wanting to use my powers to protect her. She makes me weak, and I’m the strongest of our kind, tasked with protecting us all. So this one simple girl…she can mean the end for us. Because the Luxen have an even bigger enemy—the Arum, and I need to stay on my game. 

Falling for Katy—a human—won't just place her in danger. It could get us all killed, and that’s one thing I’ll never let happen...

Code Name Verity
    This is my Book club's book of the month and I quite excited to read it. I've been quite interested in reading World War II related books recently, and I've heard a lot of good things about it!


That's what you do to enemy agents. It's what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine - and I will do anything, anything to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I'm going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France - an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

Anna and the French Kiss
    I have been wanting to read this book for so long! I just picked its name out of my TBR jar (yes, I made a jar. I have too many unread books on my shelves, I need a way to finally force myself to read them), and I'm so glad I did so because I've been feeling like reading a romance contemporary for a while now.


Can Anna find love in the City of Light?

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she's less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year.

But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he's taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's waiting for?

December Wrap Up & January TBR

        Hi guys! Well, as you can see, I only read two books in December (even though I was planning to read four books), but that was because I was kinda busy during the break (aka binge watching Jane the Virgin, omg that show is a-m-a-z-i-n-g). But that's okay.

1- Prodigy (4.5/5)
         I really liked this book! It was my favourite of the trilogy. I was kinda iffy about Legend, but this book definitely picked up the pace and made me more into the world building, the characters, and the plot. Definitely recommend continuing with the series if you have read the first book.

This book was on my December TBR so √ 

2- Champion (4/5)
         Quite an interesting final book for a trilogy. Lots of stuff happened and after reading it I was finally certain that I really like Marie Lu's writing style. I wasn't sure at first, but now I can't wait to read her other books!

This book was on my December TBR so √ 

JANUARY TBR

Night
     Finally reading this book. Can't wait to be able to compare it to the other Holocaust book that I read in October. 

Night is Elie Wiesel's masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie's wife and frequent translator, presents this seminal memoir in the language and spirit truest to the author's original intent. And in a substantive new preface, Elie reflects on the enduring importance of Night and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never forgets man's capacity for inhumanity to man.


Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Original Screenplay
         I can't wait to finally read this! I loved the movie and I feel like reading the screenplay is going to be so interesting!

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…




The Hammer of Thor
        After getting this book  signed by Rick Riordan himself, I can't wait much longer to finally read the second book on the Magnus Chase series!


Thor's hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon--the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki--and the price he wants is very high.

Favourite Books of 2016

         2016 was a good year in terms of reading for me. I read 53 books and that is the most I've read in a year ever! My Goodreads challenge was to read 50 books so I'm glad I surpassed my goal. I, again, set my goal for 50 books in 2017 because I don't want to overwhelm myself and I feel like 50 books is a reasonable goal for me to achieve. I've made a favourites post for 2014 and 2015 and I can't believe I've had my blog for this long! In March, my blog will be celebrating three years! A reminder that these are my favourite books that I read this year, they were no necessarily published in 2016. This list is also not in any particular order. Some books represent the whole series (if I read all of them this year, like: Shatter Me, The Knife of Never Letting Go, Legend, and The Elite).

October Wrap Up and November TBR

                

    

         1- Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - The Sword of Summer (3.5/5)
          You can check my review of this book by clicking the link. 
                This book was in my October TBR so √

         2- Looking for Alaska (3.5/5)
         Read my review of Looking for Alaska here.
 
         3- 1984 (4/5)
         Read this book for English class and actually quite enjoyed it. I know some people don't like the ending, but personally I really liked it because it was different and unexpected. It was definitely a hard book to read since it was written so long ago. I liked the world building and the plot. Definitely recommend it because of its Totalitarian aspect relatable to past dictators.

     4- Survival in Auschwitz 
         Kinda feel bad about rating this book so I won't do it. It was definitely a hard read, not only because it tells the tale of Primo Levi's awful time in the Aushwitz concentration camp during WWII, but also because Levi's writing style reminds me more of a textbook type of thing. I had to read this for my History class. It was very slow paced but I learned a lot about how the camps worked.
         
November TBR

Nation
         This is my book club's pick for this month. I haven't read anything by Terry Pratchett but apparently he is good, so I am excited to read this book.

Alone on a desert island—everything and everyone he knows and loves has been washed away in a storm—Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He’s completely alone—or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird, and gives him a stick that can make fire.

Daphne, sole survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy, almost immediately regrets trying to shoot the native boy. Thank goodness the powder was wet and the gun only produced a spark. She’s certain her father, distant cousin of the Royal family, will come and rescue her but it seems, for now, that all she has for company is the boy and the foul-mouthed ship’s parrot, until other survivors arrive to take refuge on the island. Together, Mau and Daphne discover some remarkable things (including how to milk a pig, and why spitting in beer is a good thing), and start to forge a new nation.
        
 I don't have anything else planned for this month, but I'll definitely read other books as I go. I am currently participation in NaNoWriMo so I have less reading time than usual, but hopefully that won't affect me too much!
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Book Review: Magnus Chase - The Sword of Summer

  

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.


Rating: ★★★.5

      As I mentioned on my September Wrap Up and October TBR post, I went to see Rick Riordan on his Hammer of Thor tour. Last month I had yet to read the first book on the series, The Sword of Summer, so I did it at the beginning of October so that I would be ready for Hammer of Thor. The event was a lot of fun, we got a Hotel Valhala shirt and a signed copy of the book. Rick was hilarious and super cool! I can't believe I got to meet one of my favourite authors! 
         But let's get onto the book. It was good but I was expecting more. That's probably because I love Percy Jackson so much. I keep wanting Rick's books to be like PJO, but I know that nothing will ever compare to it. I did like Magnus Chase but I also had a lot of problems with it. 
         The characters were okay. My favourite one was Sam. It's awesome how diverse Rick's books are! And I don't think I've ever read a book where a Muslim girl was one of the main characters. What I didn't like was that Magnus sounded a lot like Percy. I obviously like Percy 10x more, but their sarcasm was very similar and (although I love the humour in Rick's books) I just wanted him to be different than Riordan's other characters. I loved the scenes with Magnus and Annabeth. I wish we could have seen more of her though.
          I was excited to learn more about Norse Mythology, but this book didn't really satisfy my needs. It was confusing and the information was sometimes awkwardly inserted into the conversation. There weren't as many myths, more like different creatures and worlds. And to be honest I still don't really understand the whole different worlds thing, and Ragnarok, and all the other stuff.  
         I'm definitely reading the next one and I sure hope it's better! Leave a comment down bellow with you thoughts on the book!

                      

August Wrap Up & September TBR

         I didn't read that much this month, I'm not really sure why. I got a bit of a  reading slump, so that might be why... But that's okay tho. :)

    1- The Gunslinger (2.5/.5)
        My cousin recommended this book to me because this is the first book of one of his favourite series. I was staying at my other cousin's house and he had this book, so I decided to read it. This is my first Stephen King book, but it isn't a thriller so I was okay with reading it. I honestly spent the whole novel not really knowing what was going on. I guess the writing style didn't really appeal to me, and the characters weren't very likeable at all (well I kinda liked Jake but oh well). I supposed the rest of the series is better than the first book, which only gives us a foundation of what's going on. Which was kind of annoying, since not much happened and the flashbacks were weirdly placed. Maybe in the future I'll read the other books but I don't have any desire to do that anytime soon.
         This book was on my August TBR so √
      
      2- The Trials of Apollo - The Hidden Oracle (4/5)    
        Apollo is probably my favourite god in Mount Olympus. He is so funny and just really cool. But sometimes he's too egocentric for his own good. I loved seeing him go through so many hardships as a human in this book. At some point, he mentioned how gods don't change much during their lifetimes (which is very long), but throughout the course of this book we got to see Apollo change and become a better person/god. I was so glad to see some of the characters that we haven't seen in so long, particularly Percy who is my favourite. And a particular relationship that I didn't know was canon actually is in this book and I couldn't be more happier. It was absolutely adorable. To be honest, I didn't like Meg much. But I liked how unique she is. That's what I love about Rick's characters. They are always believable and have unique personalities. I can't wait to see what the next book brings us. 

    3- Princesa das Águas (5/5)
         I didn't think it would be worth writing a full review about a book that is only on sale in Brazil, no matter how much I loved it. This book is a retelling of the little mermaid (who is my favourite princess), where the main character is a (fictitious) famous Brazilian swimmer who is going to compete in the Olympics. She ends up falling in love with a Swiss tennis player after saving his life. The book is absolutely adorable, and it was super cool reading it during the actual Olympics. It's definitely a favourite.
        This book was on my August TBR so √

SEPTEMBER TBR

         Graceling 
        I'm rereading this for my book club, and I'm so excited because I absolutely love Graceling.

       Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...  
          
         Well, I don't have anything else planned. I'll probably read the book that my book club picks for next month, and a few more. Comment below if you've read any of the books I mentioned in this post!