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.