Waiting on Wednesday #8: The Wicked King – Holly Black

December 12, 2018December 30, 2018 by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 2 Comments

Synopsis

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

Thoughts

This week for Waiting on Wednesday I thought I would rant about how much I am dying to read The Wicked King by Holly Black. For those who aren’t familiar this is the second instalment of The Folk of the Air, the first book being The Cruel Prince. The Cruel Prince has had tons of buzz and pretty much every blogger and booktuber has said how much they love it. I read it in one sitting at the start of the year and it’s still definitely one my favourite books of 2018. I am simply dying to know what is going to happen next and so many people have received ARCS and have been given copies at events that I feel like I might be one of the few people who haven’t read it yet. This is definitely going to be one of the first books I pick up in 2019 and I’m hoping it is going to be worth the wait!

The Wicked King is publishing January 8th 2019 from Hot Key Books.

Book Review: The Exact Opposite of Okay – Laura Steven

December 11, 2018 by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 2 Comments

Release Date: 8th March 2018
Publisher: Electric Monkey
Pages: 336
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: I received an ARC copy of this at YALC

Synopsis

Izzy O’Neill is an aspiring comic, an impoverished orphan, and a Slut Extraordinaire. Or at least, that’s what the malicious website flying round the school says. Izzy can try all she wants to laugh it off – after all, her sex life, her terms – but when pictures emerge of her doing the dirty with a politician’s son, her life suddenly becomes the centre of a national scandal. Izzy’s never been ashamed of herself before, and she’s not going to start now. But keeping her head up will take everything she has…

Review

Contemporary YA can be a bit of a hit or miss for me but I thought The Exact Opposite of Okay had a really intriguing premise. After just a few chapters I was completely hooked on this funny and fascinating book. It is without a doubt my most favourite contemporary read ever.

This book is fun, clever and deals with a lot of important issues. (I mean what more could you really ask for?) Izzy is a teenager who is hoping to be a script writer when she’s older. She’s a comic and she’s hilariously funny. When a website surfaces claiming she is a ‘world class whore’ and highlights all the details of her sex life, Izzy is made to feel ashamed of her sex life and struggles to deal with the hateful comments. The book really delves into issues around slut shaming and the differing ways that men and women are treated regarding sex.

I loved everything about this book. I know a lot of the time people will say ‘oh this book is so funny’ but honestly I was laughing so hard at some moments that my boyfriend had to come and check that I was okay. The book is written as if Izzy is writing entries in her blog and I really liked this style. It’s also peppered with references to music and pop culture and they made me love this book even more (especially Dumbledore the dog).

This book is fresh and original and features such a fascinating protagonist. Izzy is sarcastic, brave, stubborn and brilliant and she’s definitely one of my new favourite characters. I loved that the book explored her relationships with her grandmother as well as her relationships with her two best friends, Ajita and Danny. I absolutely flew through this book because I just couldn’t put it down. It deals with important issues in such an interesting way and I am definitely looking forward to seeing what Laura Steven writes next.

Book Review: SLAY – Kim Curran

December 10, 2018 by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 1 Comment

Release Date: 3rd May 2018
Publisher: Usborne Publishing
Pages: 304
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review.

Synopsis

Meet SLAY – SLAY do two things and they do them well: they play killer music and they slay killer demons.

When Milly, the lonely daughter of a world-famous opera singer, arrives home to discover that her mum has been taken over by something very evil, she finds herself in mortal danger. But the last people she expects to rescue her are the hottest boy band on the planet…

Enter SLAY: playing kickass gigs in the spotlight, and saving the world from demons in the shadows… Suddenly, Milly’s on the road with JD, Tom, Niv, Zek and Connor, racing against the clock to stop the demons who killed her mum… One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be a hell of a show!

Review

This is the kind of book that I didn’t know I needed until I read the blurb. JD, Tom, Niv, Zek and Connor make up SLAY, the biggest boy band on the planet (think One Direction). Their fans love their music and the way that they play pop up shows in remote parts of the country. What they don’t know is that the band are secretly demon hunters, ridding the world of those demons possessing humans. When Milly’s mum is taken over by a demon and the band steps in to help, it sends both Milly and the band on a rollercoaster ride.

This book was so fun and exciting. It’s a quick read and I’d definitely recommend it for getting out of reading slumps. It’s that perfect light and fast paced story that’s perfect to while away a few hours or take on holiday with you. The concept was such a fascinating idea and Kim Curran does an excellent job of giving us the chance to get to know the five band members and Milly as they kick ass and save the world. It’s really interesting to see the characters develop, highlighting their friendships and their relationships with Milly as she joins them on the bus.

The book is action-packed with plenty of quick, exciting fighting scenes and there’s some funny moments too (Milly learning to fight is my particular favourite). The book also features quite a bit of Aztec mythology which brought a really interesting layer to the story and is something I really enjoyed about this story.

This is the kind of story that I could see being turned into a really fantastic TV series. It’s fun and heartwarming and this is only the beginning. The band are jetting off to Tokyo in book two and I for one cannot wait!

November Wrap Up!

December 7, 2018 by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 8 Comments

November was another great reading month and I read some really terrific books. Now that December is here I’m hoping to squeeze in another bundle of books before the end of the year and make my Goodreads Challenge. In November I read 11 books so let’s dive into what they were!

Harley Quinn: Mad Love – Paul Dini & Pat Cadigan
This is a new novel which describes Harley Quinn’s origin story and really dives into the famous Batman villain. Harley Quinn is one of my favourite characters from the DC Universe so I jumped at the opportunity to read a book written by Harley’s co-creator Paul Dini. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. (5/5 stars)

Dracula – Bram Stoker
I started rereading this around Halloween but didn’t finish it until the first week in November. (It’s huge!). Dracula is one of my favourite classics and I find I enjoy it even more each time I reread it. It has that sense of nostalgia and familiarity that I love. Beautifully written with a compelling story, I couldn’t give Dracula anything less than 5/5 stars.

Skyward – Brandon Sanderson
Skyward was my first real outing in a Brandon Sanderson book (I read Snapshot a few months ago but it was only a novella). This was another magnificent read that I just couldn’t put down. I’m definitely now itching to read more from Brandon Sanderson. I participated in the blog tour for this book so if you want to know more of my thoughts you can take a look at that here! (5/5 stars)

Shadow of the Fox – Julie Kagawa
Shadow of the Fox was another book that was my first time reading a book by a much loved author. This story is so exciting and engaging and again I’m definitely excited to read more from Julie Kagawa. I also participated in the blog tour for this one so the full review for Shadow of the Fox is here if you want to know more!

Glass Town Wars – Celia Rees
The lovely Andrew over at The Pewter Wolf ran a giveaway for this book and I was lucky enough to win one. This is the newest book from Celia Rees, an author that I completely loved growing up. I enjoyed this one though I found it a little slow in the middle and it didn’t grip me in the same way that Witch Child or Pirates did. (3.5/5 stars)

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – J. K. Rowling
This old thing. I love J. K. Rowling and I love the Harry Potter world and everything that goes along with it. I did enjoy this book, it was quick paced and it was nice to be back in the world of magic and adventure but honestly this book felt like it was filler. I read it in one sitting but I’m now not even sure I can remember what happened it in and it’s definitely my least favourite of Rowling’s books so far. (3/5 stars)

The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson
My time reading books by Shirley Jackson has been a bit of a mixed bag. I read We Have Always Lived in the Castle and I gave it 3.5 stars. I read The Missing Girl and gave it 3. I really want to love her work because she writes these strange creepy stories but I hadn’t found one I loved yet. I picked up The Haunting of Hill House after watching the Netflix show and I loved this one. It was everything I was hoping for. It was completely different from the TV show and it is my favourite Shirley Jackson book by far. (4/5 stars)

Illuminae – Ami Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING. Illuminae was one of the books I listed on my five star predictions post. Was I right? ABSOLUTELY. I loved the way this was told, it was gripping, a fresh perspective and had the best kick ass characters. I ran out to buy Gemina and immediately started it (I finished it in December but it was brilliant). I can’t believe it took me so long to pick it up because it is definitely a new favourite. (5/5 stars)

Mirage – Somaiya Daud
Another book that I adored! (Told you November was an excellent reading month!) I raced through this fresh mix of science fiction and fantasy. I loved the characters and the complex layer of the story. I still find myself thinking about this book and I’ve recommended loads. I’m desperate to read book two and if you fancy reading my full rather rambling review of Mirage, you can check that out here. (5/5 stars)

Girl Squads – Sam Maggs
This was a surprise piece of book post that arrived from Quirk Books which tells the story of twenty female friendships from around the world. The stories were really fascinating and it was lovely to read stories of women building each other up and reaching their goals. I did find the narrator a little on the annoying side but overall this was an enjoyable read. (3/5 stars)

Grace and Fury – Tracy Banghart
My last read of the month was a quick and fast paced story in which women are treated like second class citizens. The story follows two sisters and it has very Handmaid’s Tale esque vibes. I read it really faced and I enjoyed the differing POV’s between each sister. Some of the plot points felt a little too convenient, but overall it was a fun and interesting read. (4/5 stars)

November was such an excellent reading month! So many of the books I read were 5 star reads and honestly what more could I ask for? If you’ve read any of these let me know yours thoughts and if you had any favourite books in November definitely let me know what they were!

Blog Tour: The Girl In the Broken Mirror – Savita Khalan

November 27, 2018November 26, 2018 by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 2 Comments

Release Date: 29th March 2018
Publisher: Trokia Books
Pages: 288
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The author kindly contacted me to participate in the blog tour and sent me a copy to review.

Synopsis

Jay’s creative writing exercise is to write a fairy tale, to end with ‘they lived happily ever after’. But the way her life is panning out she’s not sure it will ever reach that stage. A powerful moving gripping story which explores themes of family, loyalty and culture clash but is ultimately about hope and understanding.

Review

This is an incredibly moving story that I found difficult to put down. I picked it up early in preparation for the blog tour and found myself still sitting in the same spot a few hours later, absolutely gripped by this emotional tale.

This book covers a lot of difficult topics such as suicide and rape, so this is by no means a light read, but it is a beautifully written tale that stays with you long after you’re finished reading. The book follows Jaya – starting with the morning after she is raped and then jumping back to the events leading up to that night. The story really hones in on different cultures and Jaya’s attempts to be both English and Indian and in particular keep to the traditional Indian beliefs.

This is a gripping story that really looks in depths at relationships, between friends as well as between mother and daughter and I found it such a fascinating insight. The characters were wonderfully written and I definitely became attached to Jaya. On more than once occasion this book brought me close to tears and I think that’s a mark of a very powerful story.

Previous to 2018 contemporary YA was not something that I read all that often but recently I’ve found myself picking up books in that genre more often. This is a really excellent piece of contemporary YA that I would definitely recommend. It might be a hard hitting read, but it is most definitely worth it.

Blog Tour: Shadow of the Fox – Julie Kagawa

November 25, 2018November 25, 2018 by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 5 Comments

Series: Shadow of the Fox #1
Release Date: 1st November 2018
Publisher: HQ Stories
Pages: 454
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review

Synopsis

A single wish will spark a new dawn. Every millennium, one age ends and another age dawns…and whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers holds the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for any one wish. The time is near and the missing pieces of the scroll will be sought throughout the land of Iwagoto. The holder of the first piece is a humble, unknown peasant girl with a dangerous secret. Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune powers. Yumeko escapes with the temple’s greatest treasure – one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll.

Review

This is the first book in an all new fantasy series from renowned fantasy author Julie Kagawa. The story is told in alternating points of view, following characters with pieces of an ancient scroll that has the power to awaken the great Kami Dragon. This story is exquisitely told and complexly weaved with mythology and lore.

This is my first book by Julie Kagawa and I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to her work. I loved her characters – Yumeko is a kitsune, a half fox demon. She’s not altogether human and I love her mischievous cunning side. Kage too was really fascinating and unusually I enjoyed both characters perspectives equally – something that I find doesn’t often happen when you have multiple POVS. Her characters were well developed and I enjoyed the amount of character depth as they found themselves on this wild adventure.

I thoroughly enjoyed Kagawa’s writing style. The story is quick paced and continues to ramp up as the story progresses. The book touches on some really important themes, like friendship, family and ultimately doing what is right. It’s a really gorgeous fantasy story and I loved learning more about Japanese mythology. The setting was beautiful and I loved the sense of atmosphere that shines through in the book. The story is very much a journey, and I am already dying to know what’s going to happen next. If you’re looking for a new own voices fantasy that’s chalk full of fantasy and mythology, Shadow of the Fox is definitely the book for you.

Predicting Five Star Reads!

November 13, 2018November 13, 2018 by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 2 Comments

Today I thought I would try something a little different and make a list of books I think are going to be five star reads. I thought it would be interesting because after I’ve read them I can make a comparison post and see if I was right! So here goes with ten books I’m predicting to be five star reads:

1. Six of Crows – Leigh Bardugo
This has been on my TBR for SO LONG and I don’t even know why. I love Leigh Bardugo but for some reason I haven’t read Six of Crows or Crooked Kingdom yet. It baffles me because I know I’m going to love them. I’m hoping this post will definitely force me to read this duology, and I would especially love to get to them before King of Scars comes out in January.

2. Muse of Nightmares – Laini Taylor
I definitely think I’m going to give Muse of Nightmares five stars. Strange the Dreamer was on a whole other level of five star reads so I have no doubt that this is going to be just as full of magic and that beautiful writing that pulls you into the city of Weep.

3. Vengeful – V. E. Schwab
V.E. Schwab is definitely my favourite author of 2018. Prior to this year I hadn’t read any of her books. I’ve since read City of Ghosts, Vicious, Warm Up and I just recently started The Dark Vault. I loved all of them so so much and I’ve seen so many people saying Vengeful is a brilliant read.

4. And I Darken – Kiersten White
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is one of my all time favourite books and so when I saw someone talking about Kiersten White’s And I Darken I pretty much ordered a copy immediately. For some reason I still haven’t read it yet but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a five star read. I read The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein last month and it was a five star read, so I have high expectations.

5. An Ember In the Ashes – Sabaa Tahir
I think I’ve been living under a rock because I’m the only person that hasn’t read this series yet. I own this book and A Torch Against the night and I’ve read so many rave reviews and seen so many booktube videos of people gushing about how amazing this book is that I have no doubt I’m going to absolutely love it.

6. The Court of Broken Knives – Anna Smith Spark
I recently went to an event with Anna Smith Spark, Cameron Johnston and Anna Stephens and Anna talked about this series and she also read an extract that sounded amazing. It sounded like the perfect high action fantasy series and that is definitely up my alley.

7. Sea Witch – Sara Henning
I have tentatively put this on the list because I know it has received some mixed reviews but from the premise it sounds like a five star read. I know it is a retelling of The Little Mermaid fairytale but from the point of view of the Sea Witch. It has a gorgeous cover and it sounds like a really atmospheric read so I’m hopefully going to pick this one up soon.

8. Illuminae – Jay Kristoff and Ami Kaufman
This is another one that I swore I was going to get to in 2018. I have a month and a bit left but it’s fairly likely I won’t get around to it in that time. I am also interested in listening to this on audiobook because I’ve heard many people say the audiobooks are perfect for this because it’s told with lots of different formats like interviews and letters and things. I think it sounds like a really phenomenal read and if I don’t read it in 2018 it is the highest priority for next year.

9. Three Dark Crowns – Kendare Blake
I love dark fantasy series and this is one that I have been meaning to read for a while. I know Two Dark Reigns came out fairly recently so I’m hoping that maybe I can binge read the series at some point soon. Again I’ve seen quite a few people rave about this and it sounds really intriguing.

10. The Girl King – Mimi Yu
This is a recent addition to my TBR that I got at YALC and honestly I’m so excited to read it. The cover is just gorgeous and the tagline is This is coming out in January of next year and honestly I am just so excited to read it. “Two sisters become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor in this sweeping tale of ambition, sacrifice and betrayal. All hail the Girl King.” This is coming out in January of next year and honestly I am just so excited to read it.

So those are the books I’m predicting will be five star reads. What are some books you think will be five star reads for you? And if you’ve read any of these let me know what you rated them!!

October Wrap Up!

November 11, 2018 by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 3 Comments

October is one of my favourite reading months. So many spooky books come out and it’s dark and cold outside and all I want to do is huddle under a blanket with my cat and a good book. Somehow in the month of October I managed to read sixteen books and one short story – I’m not even sure how that happened. I participated in a readathon which I think really helped and also quite a few of theses were on the shorter side. I’m going to keep it brief about each book because quite a few of them have featured in readathon wrap up posts or have full review posts up already.

1. A Blade So Black – L. L. McKinney
This Alice in Wonderland retelling was quick paced, action packed and so much fun. I raced through it and it’s definitely one of my favourite Alice retellings that I’ve ever encountered. I participated in the blog tour for this and you can check out my extract from the book here. (Rating: 4/5 stars)

2. The Woods Vol 1 – James Tynion IV
This is the first instalment in a graphic novel series about a school that disappears into another realm. Full of strange monsters and dark and creepy sequences I thought this was an interesting start, although it didn’t grip me as much as I hoped that it would. (Rating: 3.5/5 stars)

3. The Wicked Deep – Shea Earnshaw
This was the biggest surprise of my October reading. I adored this book. Dark and creepy, this story was so atmospheric and unfolded in such a clever way. It was the perfect Halloween read and it is definitely going on my favourites list. (Rating: 5/5 stars)

4. Vicious – Victoria Schwab
I finally read Vicious and it was so amazing. Victoria Schwab is pretty much the Queen of books, everything I’ve read by her is magnificent and it just makes me want to read everything that she’s ever written. (Rating: 5/5 stars)

5. Warm Up – Victoria Schwab
In the back of my edition of Vicious there was a short story entitled Warm Up, which shows another EO and his encounter with Eli. It was pretty short but I enjoyed the chance to see Eli from another perspective and of course to read more of Victoria’s writing. (Rating: 4/5 stars)

6. Daughter of the Siren Queen – Tricia Levenseller
I absolutely loved the first book in this duology and was really excited to dive back in. This one is a bit darker than the previous book and definitely felt a lot more intense and high stakes. It was a brilliant read and I highly recommend these books. (Rating: 4/5 stars)

7. One Of Us Is Lying – Karen McManus
This YA thriller is incredibly popular so I was looking forward to picking it up and seeing what all the fuss is about. The story is quick paced and enjoyable and there were more than a few twists that I didn’t see coming. I fell the ending was a little unbelievable but it was still a really fun read. (Rating: 3.75/5 stars)

8. Small Spaces – Katherine Arden
Katherine Arden is one of my favourite authors so I was really excited to see how she writes a Middle Grade novel. Honestly I absolutely loved this. Ollie is a brilliant protagonist. The story is dark and creepy with plenty of adventure. It’s a perfect autumn read and I’m so glad I picked it up. (Rating: 5/5 stars)

9. The Price Guide to the Occult – Leslye Walton
I haven’t read The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender but I know lots of people adore that book. This is the authors newest release and honestly I was a bit disappointed. I was expecting a very atmospheric magical read but I didn’t really connect with the characters and the story fell a bit flat for me. (Rating: 3/5 stars)

10. The Murders in the Rue Morgue – Edgar Allan Poe
It wouldn’t be Halloween without reading some Edgar Allan Poe! This is a set of three stories featuring Dupin, one of the earliest detectives who uses logic and reasoning to discover who did the crime. The stories were interesting and I enjoyed the big reveal of how the crime was committed but I definitely prefer his more Gothic and creepy tales. (Rating: 3/5 stars)

11. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein – Kiersten White
This is my first book by Kiersten White and certainly not my last. I love Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein so to read this reimagining from the point of view of Elizabeth was just a dream. I loved the characters and I think White did a brilliant job. (Rating: 5/5 stars)

12. Strange Ink – Gary Kemble
This has got to be one of the most original concepts I’ve ever read. The story follows a man who wakes up one morning with a tattoo he has no memory of getting. He chalks it up to too much alcohol but as more and more tattoos keep appearing and he becomes wrapped up in their mystery, he discovers he’s actually part of a much bigger plot. This book was so fascinating and I couldn’t put it down. (Rating: 4/5 stars)

13. The Missing Girl – Shirley Jackson
Shirley Jackson is relatively new to me, I read We Have Always Lived in the Castle earlier in the year. I thought I would try my hand at some of her short stories. This little Penguin Modern Classic features three of her tales full of eeriness and that unsettling feeling. This is another one that is definitely perfect for Halloween. (Rating: 3/5 stars)

14. Spellbound – Cate Tiernan
This is the sixth instalment of the Sweep series by Cate Tiernan. I loved these books as a teenager and so I am revisiting them slowly. I love the blend of magic in these books and the sense of nostalgia reading them again. These books are pretty short and really quick so they’re perfect for reading in a single sitting. (Rating: 5/5 stars)

15. The Last Namsara – Kirsten Ciccarelli
This is the first book in a YA fantasy featuring a whole host of magic, folklore and DRAGONS. It’s a really exciting book and I loved the blend of action and romance that this story has. (Rating: 4/5 stars)

16. The Caged Queen – Kirsten Ciccarelli
The Caged Queen is the second book in the Iskari series. This book follows a different character – one we meet briefly in The Last Namsara. This book was much more focused on politics and intrigue and I ended up loving it even more than the first book in the series. You can see my stop on the blog tour here! (Rating: 5/5 stars)

17. Sleeper: The Red Storm – J. D. Fennell
Sleeper: The Red Storm is the second in the series that features Sleeper agent Will Starling. I loved the first book in the series so I was so excited to dive back into this mixture of historical fiction and spy thriller. Bursting to the seams with action, explosions and fighting, The Red Storm is a fantastic new instalment to the series and I’m already dying to find out what happens next. You can take a look at my full review here! (Rating: 4/5 stars)

So that’s all the books I read in October! What did you read in October? And if you read any of these let me know what you thought!

Top Ten Tuesday: Backlist Books

November 6, 2018November 5, 2018 by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 2 Comments

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about the back list books I want to read. I literally have tons of books in this category so I could probably have done a top fifty, but managed to whittle it down to 10.

1. The Glass Spare – Lauren DeStefano
I really loved The Chemical Garden series by Lauren DeStefano so I was desperate to read this book when it came out. I bought a gorgeous hard back edition and it has been sitting on my shelf for ages waiting to be read.

2. Spindle Fire – Lexa Hillyer
Sleeping Beauty is my favourite fairy tale so I’ve always meant to read Spindle Fire and I have a beautiful signed copy that I just haven’t gotten around to reading yet. I’m hoping the winter months might be the perfect time to inspire me to read it.

3. Forest of A Thousand Lanterns – Julie C. Dao
I got this in a FairyLoot box and have heard so many people rave about how amazing it is. It has the most beautiful cover and I love a retelling so it definitely sounds right up my alley. I definitely hope I’ll get to this one soon.

4. Into the Drowning Deep – Mira Grant
I bought this a few months ago in my local bookshop because it sounded like such a good creepy read. I saw quite a few people read it as part of Halloween readathons and say it was absolutely brilliant so I’m definitely putting it near the top of my TBR pile.

5. Daughter of the Burning City – Amanda Foody
I bought Daughter of the Burning City at YALC last year because they had copies for sale slightly early. I was so eager to read it and I still haven’t gotten around to it. I read Ace of Shades and it was one of my favourite books of the year so far so I have no idea why I haven’t picked this up yet.

6. The House of Shattered Wings – Aliette De Bodard
This is another series that has been on my TBR for quite a while and it sounds so so good. An urban fantasy with angels and war? Sign me up. It’s a series that I’ve not heard many people talk about, which is perhaps why I haven’t been so eager to pick it up but I’m definitely going to have to get around to it soon because it sounds amazing.

7. Stalking Jack the Ripper – Kerrie Manascalco
I had never planned on picking these books up because I wasn’t sure I was going to like them but after stumbling across a copy of the first book in the series I thought I would give them a shot because so many reviewers have given it a really high star rating. It seems like it might be quite a quick read so perhaps I’ll manage to squeeze it in this month!

8. Heir of Fire – Sarah J. Maas
This series is textbook Nicole. I read The Assassin’s Blade and the first two books in the Throne of Glass series and loved them. Kingdom of Ash just came out and somehow I’ve still only read the first two, despite buying each one as soon as it comes out. Someone please help me, I think I have a book buying problem.

9. Traitor to the Throne – Alwyn Hamilton
I read Rebel of the Sands earlier this year and absolutely loved it so I’ve been meaning to continue the series as I couldn’t resist picking up the rest of the books in the series. I should really just spend a weekend binge reading these beauties because I know so many people love them.

10. Daughter of Smoke and Bone – Laini Taylor
I’ve read Strange the Dreamer and I’m about to start Muse of Nightmares but I’ve never read Laini Taylor’s earlier series, despite owning all of them. I love her beautiful writing style so I’m sure I’m going to absolutely adore these, I just have to get a move on!

So these are the back list books that I really need to get around to reading. Have you read any of these? If you have what did you think? And if there’s any you think I should prioritise definitely let me know!

Birthday Book Haul!

October 31, 2018 by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 9 Comments

Today I’m posting my birthday book haul. My birthday was actually in September and I got quite a few gift cards but I was holding off for a few books that were being released in October before I used them. I got some amazing books and I’m so excited to read them!

1. Muse of Nightmares – Laini Taylor
The first book I knew I was going to pick up was Muse of Nightmares. I loved Strange the Dreamer so much and I’m super excited to dive into this. It’s massive so I’m hoping for plenty of beautiful writing and intense moments.

2. Spinning Silver – Naomi Novik
I’ve heard so many people ranting and raving about this book that I just had to pick it up. I’ve never read a book by Naomi Novik so I’m excited to dive into a new fantasy authors writing.

3. Daughter of the Siren Queen – Tricia Levenseller
I read Daughter of the Pirate King earlier this year and absolutely fell in love with the characters. I’ve been holding off to get a paperback version of Daughter of the Siren Queen but I couldn’t resist any longer. I’ve already dived in and loved the ending to this duology.

4. The Price Guide to the Occult – Leslye Walton
I’ve never read Leslye Walton’s other book (The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender) but I had heard good things about this and thought it would be the perfect Halloween read. It also has a stunning cover so I had to pick it up. I’ve since read it and thought it was okay – it wasn’t really what I was expecting and I ended up giving it three out of five stars.

5. These Rebel Waves – Sarah Raasch
I’ve been loving sea/pirate related books lately so when I saw people getting this in their Fairyloot I had to pick it up. I’m so excited to read this because it sounds amazing. Reviews for it have been a little mixed though so I’m looking forward to seeing what I think.

6. Sea Witch – Sarah Henning
I’ve read a few Little Mermaid retellings this year so I just had to pick up Sea Witch. This is another one that I’ve heard really amazing things about so I’m hoping I’ll be able to dive into it in October because I’m dying to find out what’s in store.

7. A Secret History of Witches – Louisa Morgan
This is a book I didn’t know too much about but I saw it was onsale for £1 and it was about witches and that was me sold. I love a good witchy story and I think this will be perfect for reading in the winter months.

8. Our Dark Duet – Victoria Schwab
I’ve become a bit obsessed with books by Victoria Schwab so I’m trying to complete my collection. So far this year I’ve read three of her books and I’m definitely hoping to squeeze in a few more before the end of the year!

9. Pendragon – James Wilde
As a child I always really loved stories about King Arthur so when the publisher kindly sent me Dark Age – book two in this King Arthur series I immediately ordered Pendragon. I can’t wait to binge read these gorgeous books.

10. The Wicked Deep – Shea Earnshaw
OH MY GOD THIS BOOK. I picked it up because I’d heard people say it was a good story and very atmospheric but I wasn’t prepared for how much I would love this. It was so dark and creepy and such a well written plot. It will definitely be on my favourite books of 2018 list.

11. The Last Magician – Lisa Maxwell
This is another one that I picked up kind of on a whim. I don’t know too much about it but I’ve seen a few booktubers give really rave reviews about it so I’m hoping I will really enjoy it too. I know the sequel has just come out so at least when I do get around to reading it I won’t have to wait too long to pick up book two.

12. Vengeful – V. E. Schwab
Who is surprised to see this on this list? Absolutely no one. I picked up Vicious and pretty much didn’t put it down the entire time I was reading it. It was an amazing read and has definitely solidified Victoria Schwab as one of my new favourite authors. I haven’t picked up Vengeful yet but I am going to be very very soon and I hope I love it as much as Vicious.

13. Shiver Box Set – Maggie Stiefvater
My boyfriend also bought me a box set of the Shiver series by Maggie Stiefvater. I’ve never read these but I know they’re pretty much classics of the YA genre and so many people love them. I’m not sure when I’ll get around to reading them but I’m very much looking forward to it.

14. Delirium Box Set – Lauren Oliver
Similarly I also got a box set of the Delirium books by Lauren Oliver. I’ve actually never read any of her books despite owning a couple so hopefully having the complete set of Delirium books will push me to pick them up!

So that’s my birthday book haul! Have you read any of these, if you have let me know what you thought and if there’s any you think I should prioritise!

The Bibliophile Chronicles

Tag: ya

Waiting on Wednesday #8: The Wicked King – Holly Black

Synopsis

Thoughts

Book Review: The Exact Opposite of Okay – Laura Steven

Synopsis

Review

Book Review: SLAY – Kim Curran

Synopsis

Review

November Wrap Up!

Blog Tour: The Girl In the Broken Mirror – Savita Khalan

Synopsis

Review

Blog Tour: Shadow of the Fox – Julie Kagawa

Synopsis

Review

Predicting Five Star Reads!

October Wrap Up!

Top Ten Tuesday: Backlist Books

Birthday Book Haul!