Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Fantasy
Publication: 05/03/2016 by Bloomsbury
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #2
Pages: 640 Pages
Format: eBook
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary
Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.


Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

My Thoughts
For the first time in a very long time, I cared so much about the characters I actually had a physical reaction to this book. I literally was vibrating in my seat waiting to see how this story ended. My poor heart was beating out of my chest. I can say I did enjoy A Court of Thorns and Roses when I read it last year, but this sequel blew it out of the water.

When I started reading this book, I knew it was getting a lot of hype and I didn't know where it could go. But this book was right up my alley. It gave me an emotional reaction, which doesn't commonly happen for me. Especailly the romance. This series is romance heavy, so if you're not into that avoid it. But I am a sucker for a good romance, and damn did I ever get one.

I knew I liked Rhys even from the first book. I knew there was more too him than what we originally saw. What we got in this book was even more than I ever expected. I am such a fan of Rhys that I even had a dream about him after reading certain parts. I have never had a crush on a book character this strong before. It's blowing my mind, how do people live like this!

This book also explored a lot of different themes. I liked how Maas didn't shy away from her characters having mental health problems, especially after the traumatizing events that occurred in the first book. Nobody would be able to walk away from that without having to work through something. I also really enjoyed how relationships were discussed in this book. There were abusive aspects of a certain relationship and they were never made to look okay. It wasn't romanticized and you could see how it was harming Feyre.

I just loved this book. It completely entertained me and melted my heart. I need more and I need more right now. I probably will be thinking this book for the next year waiting for the next installment. If you read the first book, definitely read this one. Even if you were on the fence with the first book, this one is amazing. Highly recommend.

Top 10 Tuesday - Anticipated Releases for the Rest of the Year

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I am officially back from my immersion trip, so hopefully I will get some books read so that I have some reviews up for you guys. In the mean time, lets talk about the books we are excited about for the rest of the year. At the end of 2015, I discussed the books I was excited for during the first half the year. You can check it out here. Now on to the main show, these are the releases I am excited for from July - December.

  

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake  

{Expected Publication: Sept. 20/2016}

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon 

{Expected Publication: Nov. 1/2016}

The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan 

{Expected Publication: Oct. 2/2016}

  

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

{Expected Publication: Aug. 30/2016}

Witch's Pyre by Josephine Angelini

{Expected Publication: Sep. 20/2016}

Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch

{Expected Publication: Sept. 20/2016}

  

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

{Expected Publication: Aug. 30/2016}

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne

{Expected Publication: July. 31/2016}

The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

{Excepted Publication: Aug. 2/2016}

That's only 9, but they are the only ones that I can think of. Let me know what you are excited to read for the rest of the year. I only have 2 of these titles preordered: Frost like Night and The Cursed Child. The rest I will likely wander to the library to pick up. Can't wait to see what everyone else is excited for.

Midyear Goal Check In

June is already speeding by so it's time to take a few moments to take a looks at some of the goals I made at the beginning of the year. It's crazy that 2016 is speeding by so quickly. I am pretty sure I haven't even accomplished one of these goals but whatever. I read a lot of books already and that's what really matters. 

1. Read a Total of 52 Books

I set this goal because I wanted to read a book a week. So far I have read 37 books year! That's amazing for me. I have never read this much, especially while going to university. This is the only goal that I have been really been doing great on.

2. Don't Be Afraid of Big Books 

I don't really know what I meant by this goal. I have been putting off my "big books" until summer. Well it's June so that means I need to jump into these books. I am currently (still) reading A Court of Mist and Fury which is over 600 pages, so definitely a big book. 

3. Finish These Series

  

The Giver Quartet

Mistborn

The Hero's of Olympus

At this point it's probably extremely unlikely that I am going to finish The Giver Quartet, I'm just not into it right now. I don't even know why I made this a goal. I am still determined to finish Mistborn and will be picking up the second one soon. Hero's of Olympus may or may not happen. That's 4 books, which seems like a lot. It least I want to continue to read this series.

4. Start These Series

  

 

These books are still collecting dust on my shelf. However, I have been reading a lot of other great things. I am still excited to get to these and need a reminder to put them at the top of my list. The only one I am unsure of is Legend. I am not sure if I will be excited to read a Dystopian in the near future.

5. Read from Different Genres

I am still working on this. I am just in a huge fantasy mood so that's what I've been picking up. I have read a lot of graphic novels this year which is exciting for me. This is another hard goal to calculate. We will see how the rest of the year goes.

Changes?

I am definitely not going to push myself to read The Giver Quartet and I might dump Legend too.

 There are a few more books that I want to add to this list of things I want to read before the end of the year. Here they are:

  

 

Review: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Publication: 09/22/2015 by Flatiron Books
Pages: 329 Pages
Format: Overdrive Audiobook
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary
According to Jenny: "Some people might think that being 'furiously happy' is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he's never particularly liked kangaroos. And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house. Two is the limit. I speak from personal experience. My husband says that none is the new limit. I say he should have been clearer about that before I rented all those kangaroos."

"Most of my favorite people are dangerously fucked-up but you'd never guess because we've learned to bare it so honestly that it becomes the new normal. Like John Hughes wrote in The Breakfast Club, 'We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it.' Except go back and cross out the word 'hiding.'"

My Thoughts
This book is absolutely hilarious and for me it was incredibly relatable. I have anxiety and I couldn't help but laugh at Jenny's insights. I feel like I fit into her family of weridos who live on the internet. This book is written in essay format, which is common in memoirs. I do really like this format, it gives you really interesting insights into people without necessarily knowing their whole life story. 

I also highly recommend the audiobook. Jenny Lawson tells her stories with such humour. I always try to listen to memoirs on audiobook, I love to hear the actual writer tell their own story. I know a lot of people are thinking "How can a book about mental illness be funny?", but it is. I am someone who looks for the humour in life, so I appreciate someone who can as well. 

This book isn't just funny, it has a lot of heart too. I touches on some of the hardest and darkest parts of mental illness. It's nice to be reminded you are not alone in this. I highly recommend this book! It's everything I needed in a book. All the thumbs up. 

Summer TBR | 2016

Summer is a fantastic time of the year, the time of the year that I try to read a lot. At this current moment, I should have plenty of time to read! My favourite place to read is outside in the sun so as long as the sun is shining I will have a book in my hand. Here are the books that I want to read this summer. I am highly likely to change my mind but at the moment this is the plan.

   

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

   

Lost Stars by Claudia Gray

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore

These are my goals for the summer. I hope I read more than 8 books in a 3 month period but I want to have plenty of room to read what I want. I am a mood reader more than anything so it's always hard for me to follow plans. But this is the current plan!

What are you planning to read this summer? Have you read any of these? Let me know what you think.

Review: Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publication: 05/12/2015 by Harper Collins
Pages: 272 Pages
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary:
Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.


But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

My Thoughts:
I just fell in love with this book. So far this year, graphic novels are the only things that have stolen my heart, maybe I even need to read more. Nimona is a fantastic, funny and surprising book. It look turns that I never expected it to take, darker more heartbreaking turns.

The setting of this book is very interesting. It takes place in what seems to be a medieval time with knights and jousting but then they also have advanced technology. It's a super interesting world, the technology is subtle but adds a lot to the story.

The winning part of this book is the characters. They are endearing, funny and just perfect in this story. Blackheart is a villain, but he is a villain with morals and rules. It's an interesting take, which I adored. Nimona is funny and powerful. She can be relatable but she also has secrets. I love the relationships between all the characters. Blackheart and Goldenloin have a complicated history and I was rotting for them the entire time.

I am a huge fan of this book. I highly recommend this to anyone, especially those who like graphic novels and fantasy. This is definitely a surprising book and it went a different way than I anticipated. The characters are stellar and everyone should at least give this book a try.

May In Review

I miss reading!! I am still away on my immersion trip so as predicted I haven't got any reading done. I am enjoying my experience here in Quebec as much as possible and I'll get back to reading when I get home. I am away for 2 more weeks! However, this is an awesome experience and if you are a Canadian student I highly recommend the explore program.

Fifteen Lanes by S.J. Laidlaw {3 out of 5 Stars}

General Thoughts: Yeah, I only read one book this month. I finished it on the plane while I was travelling. More books will be read this summer, I swear. 

  

I am somewhere in the middle of A Court of Mist and Fury. I am very much enjoying this book so far and I am excited to see how it finished. The Lie Tree has been on my TBR for the last few months and I am excited to see what it's all about. Then it's time to continue the Mistborn series!