Waiting on Wednesday #3: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

WWW is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine where we talk about books we are most anxiously anticipating.

Three Dark Crowns
Kendare Blake
Expected Publication: September 20, 2016

Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest…but she may be the darkest.
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A new fantasy series about princesses, I am in! Fantasy has been my jam right now and this book is getting me excited. I haven't read any other of Kendare Blake's books but this one looks awesome. 


Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Books I Wish I Read As Required Reading

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
In honour of school starting back up, I am talking about books that I would have loved to have read in school. I didn't have a lot of required reading when I went to school. I only had to read a handful of books in high school and in University I was studying science so the only required reading there was out of a textbook. I think I missed out on a lot of classics that a lot of people read during school. 

1984 by George Orwell
I feel like everyone read this book during school except for me. This is a classic that everyone has read, and I am interested in reading it on my own time. I just feel like I missed out on the group reading experience.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
My mom really likes this book and talks a lot about reading it in school. Another classic that I somehow missed.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The further I get into this list, the more I realize I am missing a lot of staples in people's reading histories. Some of my friend read this book for school, I just wasn't in that class.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
I can see classics lovers everywhere losing their minds as they keep reading this list. Again, another class read this one I wasn't in that class. It's one classic that really intrigues me that I know I will get to it someday.

Night by Elie Wiesel
During high school, I saw lots of people around me reading this book. I never picked it up myself. I like to learn more about the Holocaust so this is one I will pick up someday.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
This is more of a modern classic now, but still another book that I missed during my education. Also another book I have full plans on reading someday.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
This is just getting embarrassing...

Animal Farm by George Orwell
It's still coming...

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
...

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
...

I can just hear people thinking, then what did you read?! I read a lot more modern books in high school such as The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. In university, I read The Autobiography of Malcolm X and A Language Older Than Words. There are many other between. For me, this thing is that a lot of the books on my list are American Classics so in school we didn't have to read as many of them.

Let me know what you wished you had to read for required reading. Or did you have to read any of these books for required reading? Happy start of school and happy reading :) 












Stacking the Shelves #15

STS is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.
Kindle sales have definitely got to me this week. The daily deals were tempting me this week. Now I have some new books on my TBR and I am pumped to read them!

  
The Queen's Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler
The Thief's Daughter by Jeff Wheeler
The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

Have you read any of these? If you have let me know and let me know what books you added to your shelf this week.



Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Fantasy
Publication: August 31 2013 by Bloomsbury
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Pages: 418 Pages
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary:
From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

My Thoughts
This series is definitely taking me for a ride. Half the fun is knowing there are a ton more books to come and this series is going to take a ton more twists and turns. I really enjoyed this book. I was actually surprised how this story ended, which was exciting. I do get why so many people really love this series, however I do see some flaws. 

One thing that can rub me the wrong way is Celaena. There are just small parts of her character that just don't click with me. I find her to be too perfect and her personality doesn't feel consistent. Another thing was that I felt certain chapters took some strange jumps. I was just thrown off a bit by the pacing in a few sections.

At the same time, I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and exciting. I do think this book took a step up from Throne of Glass. It's starting to differentiate itself from other series and I am very much enjoying the way the plot is progressing. It makes me want to know what everyone is freaking out about in Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows. 

I am a fan of this series but I am not head over heals yet. I would recommend this book to a series to any fantasy fans. The world is interesting and I like how magic is starting to play a bigger role. I am excited to keep reading on. Thumbs up from me. 




Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Books That Have Been On My TBR From Before I Started Blogging

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
We all have TBRs, even before we were bloggers we had them. Now that I am blogging, I am reading a lot of different things and I choose books differently than I did before. I have been blogging since January 2015 but I have been a Goodreads member since 2011. In the past year and a half my TBR has changed a ton. Today, I am going to talk about the books that I have been wanting to read since before this blog came to be. 

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Added to TBR: August 2012
This is the first book on my Goodreads Want to Read shelf. There has been tons of hype surrounding this series and I still might want to jump in. Someday, maybe....

Graceling bt Kristin Cashore
Added to TBR: August 2013
I found this one in my recommended reads page if I remember correctly. I have been into YA Fantasy for awhile and this had been on the list for awhile. I also own the eBook, so I should get to it.

Fluke by Christopher Moore
Added to TBR: August 2012
This one has been on my TBR forever. It's by my favourite author and I think it's the one book of his that I have not read yet (besides Secondhand Souls...) 

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Added to TBR: November 2013
This one was very popular a few years ago and it made it's way onto my TBR back then. I kind of lost interest for awhile but I do have a paperback copy so it's still on my TBR hoping to be read.

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
Added to TBR: August 2014
I added this book to my TBR when I started watching Booktube. I am interested in reading any of Chima's series and would still keep this on my TBR.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Added to TBR: April 2014
This book has been on my TBR since I heard the main character is a geneticist. I am a biologist and love genetics, so a wacky romance with biology elements would rock my world. 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Added to TBR: July 2014
Since I picked up a copy 2 years ago, it's been on my TBR. I somehow still have not read this series and it's been on so many books I need to read lists. 

As You Wish by Cary Elwes
Added to TBR: October 2014
This book is literally the behind the scenes from The Princess Bride (aka one of my favourite movies). Literally, how have I not read this yet? 

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Added to TBR: August 2012
I was a bad reader and saw the movie before reading the book. It happens, especially when I love movies just as much as books. Now that some time has past, it's time to read the book.

Escape by Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer
Added to TBR: May 2014
This was added to my TBR when I was watching too much TLC and wanted to learn about the FLDS. I have read one book about them before, it was fiction, but I am still very interested in someone's true experiences there.

I could go on and on about this topic. I have lots of books added to my want to read shelf that I will never get too. That list will grow forever. Let me know the books that have been on your TBR the longest. 













Review: Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed by Michelle Knight with Michelle Burford

Genre: Memoir
Publication: 03/10/2010 by HaperCollins
Pages: 356 Pages
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary
“The day I disappeared in 2002, not many people even seemed to notice. I was twenty-one, a young mom who stopped at a Family Dollar store one afternoon to ask for directions. For the next eleven years I was locked away in hell. That’s the part of my story you may already know. There’s a whole lot more that you don’t.” —from Finding Me

Michelle Knight, the first of three women abducted by notorious Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro, recounts the full story of her years in captivity, her escape, and the powerful inner strength and capacity for hope that has helped her rebuild her life.

Michelle was a young single mother fighting for custody of her young son when she was kidnapped on August 21, 2002, by a local school bus driver named Ariel Castro. For more than a decade afterward, she endured unimaginable torture at the hands of her abductor. In 2003 Amanda Berry joined her in captivity, followed by Gina DeJesus in 2004. Their escape on May 6, 2013, made headlines around the world.

In Finding Me, Michelle reveals the heartbreaking details of her story, including the thoughts and prayers that helped her find courage to endure unimaginable circumstances and now build a life worth living. By sharing both her past and her efforts to create a future, Michelle becomes a voice for the voiceless and a powerful symbol of hope for the thousands of children and young adults who go missing every year.

My Thoughts
To me. this isn't a book to review. I don't want to judge Michelle' experience or the way her story was told. That being said, this book was incredibly gripping. I had heard a little bit about Michelle and the Cleveland Kidnappings when it was on a the news but I had no idea the depth of the situation. Michelle had to live through so many terrible and tragic events. Not just when she was being held captive but also in her life before that. It's crazy to believe that someone could hold 3 girls practically in plain site and get away with it, for over a decade! I couldn't believe what I was reading at points. I know it's all very true but it's scary that something like this could have happened to anyone.

This wasn't the most well written book that I ever read but it is a very important read. I haven't read anything like this in my life and I am always going to think back to Michelle's story. It's a tragic and scary book, but I think it's something that's important to be read. I recommend if you are looking for an emotional non-fiction.

Waiting on Wednesday #2: Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine, where we talk about the books we are most anxiously anticipating.


Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3)
Sara Raasch
Expected Publication: September 20, 2016

Angra is alive, his Decay is spreading—and no one is safe.

Meira will do anything to save her world. With Angra trying to break through her mental defenses, she desperately needs to learn to control her own magic—so when the leader of a mysterious Order from Paisly offers to teach her, she jumps at the chance. But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms. To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labyrinth, destroy the very magic she’s learning to control—and make the biggest sacrifice of all.

Mather will do anything to save his queen. He needs to rally the Children of the Thaw, find Meira—and finally tell her how he really feels. But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and a major betrayal within their ranks, winning the war—and protecting Meira—slips farther and farther out of reach.

Ceridwen will do anything to save her people. Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner. But when she’s freed by an unexpected ally who reveals a shocking truth behind Summer’s slave trade, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left.


As Angra unleashes the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together…or lose everything.
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I am super excited to read this finale! I have loved this whole series and I just feel like this ending is going to rip my heart in two. Tears may be shed but I still can't wait to read this book. I love the end of a series, and I really hope this one will be great. 

Book Series I Have Decided to Quit

As readers, we all know that nobody likes everything. We all have book series that we don't want to continue with. These books were from the last year or so that just weren't my thing. I did one of these as a Top 10 Tuesday about a year ago, you can find it here. These are some more book series I just don't want to finish.

The Illuminae Files 
Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Let's start off with a shocker. This was one of the biggest books from last year, and it just didn't grab me. I just think the way the story was told just didn't mesh well with me. It took me forever to read, and I am just not interested enough to pick up the next book. This is just an example that not everything is for everyone.




The Lone City
Amy Ewing

This book just okay and I had a few problems with it. Now thinking back on this book I can't really remember anything. Looking back on my review and the synopsis there apparently was magic, which I don't remember at all. What I do remember, is that I thought the general idea was interesting but it just fell flat for me.




The 5th Wave
Rick Yancey

I really liked the first half of this book, but then it lost my attention. I was planning on reading the next book but then it wasn't getting great reviews. I got the audiobook of The Infinite Sea from the library and I listened to about an hour of it. I just wasn't feeling it and I doubt that I will ever go back to try again.




Rebel Belle
Rachel Hawkins

There wasn't anything wrong with this series. I enjoyed the first book but by when the time came around for the sequel and the finale I just wasn't feeling it. I am not connected with how this series ends and I am not reaching for this style of book at the moment. If I had read this earlier in my life I would have enjoyed it a lot more than at this point. Another lifetime maybe.




A few of these are some very popular books. This just shows that not every book is for everyone. Are these some of your favourite series? Have you quit any series lately? Let me know.



Review: Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Genre: Contemporary
Publication: September 21 2010 by Dial Press
Series: Shopaholic #6
Pages: 418
Format: Overdrive Audiobook
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
Review | Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary
Becky Brandon thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true: a shopping friend for life! But it's trickier than she thought. Two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping.

Minnie creates havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is "Mine!" and she's even trying to get into eBay! On top of everything else, Becky and Luke are still living with her parents (the deal on house #4 has fallen through), when suddenly there's a huge financial crisis.
With people having to "cut back," Becky decides to throw a surprise party for Luke to cheer everyone up. But when costs start to spiral out of control, she must decide whether to accept help from an unexpected source--and therefore run the risk of hurting the person she loves.


Will Becky be able to pull off the celebration of the year? Will she and Luke ever find a home of their own? Will Minnie ever learn to behave? And . . . most important . . . will Becky's secret wishes ever come true?

My Thoughts
This series. If you've read this series you know what I mean. It's one of the most infuriating stories I have ever read but I seem to keep going back. It took me forever to listen to this book on audiobook, and I was cringing the entire time. Becky never seems to learn from her mistakes and has no character development. She's incredibly selfish and it's starting to rub me the wrong way.

This has mostly been a guilty pleasure series for me but now it's hard for it to be that. There were parts that I enjoyed and I felt the fun that was in this series in the first few books is mostly gone now. It's hard to keep reading when Becky just makes worse and worse mistakes. Anybody with common sense would know better, but somehow Becky gets herself into these same situations over and over again.

I don't know if I will continue with this series. There are 2 more books after this, with no indication of it finishing. I don't know if I can cringe anymore at Becky's antics. I think there are better things out there for me at this moment in time.


Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I Need to Read By The End of 2016

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
This week is a Freebie week. I decided I want to talk about 10 Books that I need to read by the end of this year. I had lots of goals for this year and I feel like I have been reading any book besides the ones I set out to read. Which isn't a bad thing, I have still been reading which makes me happy. 

  
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson: One of my goals was to finish reading this series before the end of the year.  I don't think I'll be able to completely finish it but I definitely want to get to the second book in the next few books.
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan: This was another series I wanted to finish by the end of the year, which I don't think is going to happen. I would be happy if I finish the second book by the end of the year.
Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore: This is the sequel to one of my favourite book by one of my favourite authors. It came out a year ago! Why haven't I read it yet, no idea. I need to get to this one very soon.

  
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: I am definitely worried about this one. I know just reading a play, you are going to miss a lot of the magic. However, this is the only way that I'll likely get to experience the play. How could I not read it?
Cinder by Marissa Meyer: This was on my beginning of the year goals, I wanted to start this series. I have the first two books in this series and I am excited to see how I feel about this series,
The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski: Another book from my 2016 goals. I have been interested in this book since I first heard about it last year or the year before. I have a copy waiting for me on my shelf that I need to get too.

   
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo: The last book from goals from the beginning of the year. I have this whole series waiting for me so I want to check this first book out to see how I feel about it. 
A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir: I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I am planning on reading the next one. I am going to wait until my library get a copy then I will pick it up.
Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch: This is the final book in one of my current favourite series. I am anxious to finish this series. I feel like my heart is going to be ripped into bits. I just have to wait until it's released.
War Child by J.D. Wilkins: This book was written by the husband of one of my friends so I want to support them and read this book. I am excited to check this out, it's not super long so I think I can speed through it.

What do you need to read the rest of this year? Have you read any of these books? Let me know :)