March Wrap Up (2018)

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And I know that this post is a day late.

But I actually did stuff this month, so I shall post on a day that is not scheduled!

Enjoy!

BOOKS

I actually finished a total of 8 books this month! Also, all but one of them were new (one re-read, which I tacked on at the end of the month.) They were all fantastic and they'll be a ton of reviews for them in April (another review crazy month, sorry.)

1. Deception (Dark Matter #2), by Teri Terry

Although I would love to post a review about this, for some reason or other, I haven't for Contagion, the previous book in the trilogy. But let me say this, this is up there with all my favourite Teri Terry books. She's only published 7 to date, but it's probably number 2 or 3 in the ranks. There was another level of epicness in this one, and I know I always say this, but I truly don't have any idea as to how she's going to wrap this trilogy up. I can't tell you what happens, because it's the second book in the trilogy, but at the start of Contagion, tells the story of a huge epidemic wiping out 90% of the population. Meanwhile, Kai is looking for his sister Callie, and Shay say her the day she went missing. As the epidemic is spreading, Kai and Shay search for her. Their search leads them right into the heart of the epidemic. Can they survive as they search for Callie? But seriously, it goes a lot further than that. Teri Terry's remains to be better than anything I've ever read, and I urge you guys to pick up either this trilogy, or the Slated trilogy, or Mind Games or Book of Lies, because they are all fantastic.

P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2), by Jenny Han

After how much I loved the first book, I was eager to pick up the second. I wasn't disappointed. The Song sisters are still as loveable as ever. The writing is as adorable and sweet as ever, but we maybe got a bit more of a glimpse of the characters than we had in the first book. I liked this one maybe more than the first because the situations are maybe a bit more mature than in the previous books and it was nice to see that Lara Jean had grown and matured as a character since the events of the first book. If you want to see my more in-depth thoughts on this book, you can check my review, which is linked into the title.  

3. The Hazel Wood (The Hazel Wood #1), by Melissa Albert

I have to say that even though I liked the way The Hazel Wood ended, I will for sure be picking up the second book. Anybody else think this book was a standalone? Me too. But I liked it well enough. Creepy stories in a book that nobody can find? That then start walking about the place, taking Alice's (MC) mother with them? It was so enthralling, I couldn't put it down. Hence why I read 8 books this month. Full review linked into the title.

4. A Wrinkle In Time Graphic Novel, by Hope Larson

Next review on my list, for sure. Look out for that! There's just something about this story that just grabs you right from the get go. From the point that you turn to the first page, you know it's not going to be your typical sci-fi tale. There's a surreal edge to the whole story, but once you get a bit into the book, you're turning pages so fast, it's like your fingers can't keep up. Unique characters, a totally different story to anything that I've read about before, I flew through this graphic novel. And it let me tick off one of my TBR Jar goals for 2018!

5. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

Every so often, I get the urge to read these sort of books. Not just because I'm interested in history, but this one looked super super interesting. Also, my brother has the DVD. But, because of the want to read the book before watching the film, I wanted to read the book first. So, thoughts: this was so good. There are three POV's, and you stick with each person for two chapter each time. It took a little while for me to get into the book, but once I did, I could not stop reading. Also, that's another book that I've ticked of my TBR Jar for 2018! Nailing the TBR Jar this year!

6. Love, Simon, by Becky Albertalli

Now, this won't come as much of a surprise, but I absolutely loved this. I can't fault it, except for the fact that there wasn't much to it at the start, but I love everything in this book. I characters, the quick and unexpected bursts of humour that is so common in this book, Simon's character development, all of it. If I have to get the train down to the cinema to watch this film when it comes out on the 6th, then I will do it. But at this point, I can't see how it could top how much I loved this book.

7. Tiny Pretty Things (Tiny Pretty Things #1), by Sona Charaipotra

This was everything that I wanted within this book. It was diverse, there were so many issues that were discussed within this book: addiction, the strive to be the best, no matter what you have to do to your competition, dancing with a condition, family pressures, bulimia to name a few. I read this in like a day, and after everything that happened in this book, I needed a day of marathoning 13 reasons why, just to get over the car crash of the ending of it all (that's a good thing.) The urge to buy the second book was the strongest it's ever been after finishing this book, even above the urge to pick up P.S. I Still Love You after finishing To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Unless I read a bunch of books better than the masterpiece of Tiny Pretty Things, this will for sure make my Favourite Books of 2018 list at the end of the year.

8. If I Stay (If I Stay #1), by Gayle Forman (Re-read)

This is just one of the go to re-reads that I pick up when I want to read something familiar. At 210 pages, it is such a quick read, and even though it grips my heart every time I read it, I will remain in love with it forever. It was a nice wrap up to my reading month and I'm happy I got to relive the story again.

TV AND FILM

TV

1. Thirteen Reasons Why

Yeah, I marathoned this in less than a day. There were a bunch of issues, like showing no way to prevent suicide as opposed to just acknowledging that it exists, and wishing they could have done more to prevent what happened to Hannah Baker. But it was so good. Dark and scarring, if you have been through any of the events in this series, but so addictive. And it was just in time because SEASON 2 COMES OUT TODAY.

FILMS

Okay, I haven't actually seen anything this month.

But there are so many good films coming out soon, so I'm going to list the ones I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO SEE.

1. Peter Rabbit- This wouldn't actually be on the list, except I'm conveniently going to see this film later today.

2. Love, Simon- Not only did I read this this month, but Keiynan Lonsdale is in this film and I love him from Dance Academy. They're just the only reasons.

3. Blockers- A film about kids losing their virginity. Comedy. And the parents try and stop them. It looks decent, and it's showing up everywhere.

4. Ready Player One- This came out on the 29th, and I would love to go and do this, because I read the book a couple of years back.

WRITING

So here's some news:

I FINISHED MY SECOND DRAFT.

POST ON THAT SOON.

I'm not disclosing any more than that.

But new post soon. I promise.

So that was my wrap up for March!

We are now 1/4 of our way through the year, and I cannot believe how quickly it's been going (through this month went at a snail pace for me, because I've been waiting for the Love, Simon film.)

But I am currently 18/60 books into my Goodreads Reading Challenge, and am 4 books ahead of schedule.

How are you doing with your Goodreads Reading Challenge? Let me know in the comments!

So that is all I've got for you today! I hope you enjoyed it, and I will see you all on Monday, with my April TBR (2018)!

Byeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

My TBR List (2018)

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And something occurred to me yesterday: I say that one of my blogging goals this year is to read all the books that I own that I have yet to read. And so, why not do a TBR List?

A TBR List is a post that I've done a couple of times before. I basically list all the books that I own that I haven't read yet.

I hope you enjoy it!

1. One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns #2), by Kendare Blake

Although I've heard some fantastic reviews of this, I still don't know why I haven't got to this sequel yet, especially as I loved the first one. Maybe it's second book stigma? You love the first book, so you want the second book to be as good or even better. And it isn't. Regardless of the reason, I need to get to this soon. It's on my TBR for next month, so I should get to it soon.

2. King's Cage (Red Queen #3), by Victoria Aveyard

This is another book that I need to get to, because War Storm is out May 5th. This was going to be my next read, but I just didn't feel like picking it up. I know it's all a mind game, like if I just pick it up and ignore all the things my mind is saying then I know I'll love it. I want to read this book! I think part of the reason that I haven't picked up King's Cage, is because I didn't like Glass Sword as much as I thought I would. But I hope I enjoy it. (Let me know in the comments if you loved this book, if you hated it, or if your like me and have yet to pick it up!)

3. This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1), by V.E Schwab

4. Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2), by V.E Schwab

I am currently about to start this duology, because it's been long enough! I don't know too much about this duology, other than the fact that there is a super huge hype surrounding this duo. As for whether I'm just going to marathon both, or read one at the end of March/April, and do the same next month, I haven't made my mind up yet. I think it's more likely to be the former, as there are only two of them. But what I do know is, I can't wait to sink my teeth into this duology (and I can also cross it off my TBR Jar!)

5. The Crow Girl, by Erik Axl Sund

This book is basically a gruesome murder mystery. I bought this because it was the Waterstones book of the month a couple of months back, and even though I wasn't free on the date of the book club, it still looked interesting. It's a massive book, like over 750 pages, but the pages are blue. And taking quotes from the Sunday Express, The Crow Girl is "A compulsive page-turner." I can't wait to see if that's true.

6. Always and Forever Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3), by Jenny Han

I have been steadily working my way through this trilogy because they're just so good. I don't need to worry about getting to this because I know that I will get to this at some point in April. From what I know about this book is that Lara has a choice to make about university, and her family and Peter/ John. I mean, I have the perfect solution, but I still want to read it. I have flown through both of the previous and I can't wait to see how it's all wrapped up! (Though truthfully I don't want to say goodbye to any of these characters.)

7. The Host, by Stephenie Meyer

This is a book that I've attempted twice and even though I've gotten further each time, I still haven't finished it. Let's hope I get through it this time. The Host is a book about Melanie Stryder, a girl who refuses to let go of who she is, and sink down while the Wanderer invades her mind and controls her. She is out to find her love Jared, and as unwilling allies, they both search for him. The second time that I started this book, I got to maybe halfway through the book, and right now I'm intrigued as to how the story will end.

8. The Final Empire (Mistborn #1), by Brandon Sanderson

9. The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2), by Brandon Sanderson

10. The Hero of Ages (Mistborn #3), by Brandon Sanderson

I'm thinking that I'm going to leave these until last. Frankly, these books are humungous, and yeah they might be amazing. But if I leave them until last, then I won't have anything left to read afterwards, and I can give them my full attention.

11. It, by Stephen King

I think I'm going to read this before or after The Crow Girl, because they are the most similar books to each-other on this list. They are both guaranteed to be creepy, and they're both huge books. I don't like the fact that I'll most likely be reading these in the summer, they're more winter books, when it's dark earlier in the day, but there's something about reading horrors and thrillers in the sunlight, that it just seems so off that something just run at you, like a clown or a murderer dripping blood, that reading horrors in the sunlight can make you even more scared.

12. The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern

I actually only got this today! There have been some mixed reviews, but the rest have been singing this book's praises! I did promise myself that I wasn't going to buy any more books until I've the rest of the books on this list, but I got this from Air Ambulance and it was 95p. Also, books are bought like wildfire in there, so I had to have it! (Also, it's on my Goodreads "want to read" shelf.)

So those are the books on my TBR List (2018)! I hope you enjoyed it!

I will see you all on Friday with my March Wrap Up (2018)!

Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

The Hazel Wood (The Hazel Wood #1), by Melissa Albert

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And you must be bored stiff of reviews by this point, but I still have a lot to do!

But never fear, there's my March Wrap Up at the end of the week, and a new TBR on Monday, so you'll get a break then.

But right now, I'm reading so many amazing books that I have to share my thoughts on them!

Sorry.

Now, this next book had some hype, so I hope you enjoy it!

Title: The Hazel Wood

Author: Melissa Albert

Genre: Fantasy, fairytale retelling

Release date: 30th January, 2018

Status: Book 1 in the Hazel Wood duology/trilogy (don't know yet)

Pages: 355

Blurb: "Alice has spent most of her life on the road,

always one step ahead of the strange bad luck

biting at her heels. But when Alice's grandmother,

the reclusive author of a pitch-dark fairy tales,

dies alone on her isolated estate- the Hazel Wood-

Alice discovers how bad her luck can really get.

Her own mother is stolen away- by a figure who claims

to come from the supernatural world where the fairy tales

are set. Alice's only clue is the message left behind:

STAY AWAY FROM THE HAZEL WOOD.

To rescue her mother, Alice must venture first to

the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her

grandmother's tales began..."

My Thoughts

Now, I wasn't really going to pick this up when it came out, but it was on a deal in Tesco. So naturally, I bought it, because I was aware of the hype it was getting from Booktube.

Also, it seemed dark and creepy and something I would be able to fly through.

Once I got into it, it kind of was.

At the start, it was kind of a slow burner because, based on the premise, there was a lot of background to get through. But once we were through that, it got super super interesting! And it totally took me by surprise too!

Which is something that I like, There's nothing like the thrill of reading something normal (this book started off with a sort of contemporary feel) and then a man that hasn't aged in 10 years shows his face! (No more spoilers than that, I promise).

But that was something that was consistent- the fact that you think the book is going in one direction, and then it surprises you completely and goes into a completely different direction! That was something that I loved.

From the time that Alice tries to search for her mother, the story changes from kind of a contemporary read, it turns into a fairytale/ fantasy read, which made it super dark and creepy and I have to say that I relished that. What made it super dark and creepy was the description of the characters. I read this on the bus and whenever I was reading this and we went over a speed bump, I'd literally jump out of my skin! What also made it so creepy was that these creepy characters would show up in like broad daylight, which was concerning to say the least!

Next, the characters. I wasn't that keen on Alice. She was super hurtful to others all the way through the book. Granted, we find out why at some point, but it still doesn't mean we can forget that she was mean! It's still valid.

There were some characters that I did like, but I'm not going to go into detail about those because they're kind of spoilery.

Also, the book was so fast paced, sometimes it was hard to keep track of something. These parts were also kind of surreal, so that was one thing that made it hard to keep track of what was happening.

But that was my only critique, other than the Alice one.

Overall, this was a solid four star read! I'm glad I picked it up, and even though I can't think about what Melissa could do with a sequel, I'm still going to pick it up when it comes out!

So that's all I have for today!

I hope you enjoyed the review, and I will see you all on Wednesday, with my next review (I'm sorry!)

Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful day and I will see you then.

Goodbye!

-Abi xxxxxx

P.S I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2), by Jenny Han

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And here's my second review of the week, for P.S I Still Love You, by Jenny Han.

Enjoy!

Also, I accidentally released that half finished review from earlier.

(Sorry)

Title: P.S I Still Love You

Author: Jenny Han

Genre: Contemporary romance

Release date: 26th May, 2015

Status: Book two in the "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" trilogy

Pages: 337

Blurb: "Lara Jean didn't expect

to really fall for Peter.

They had just been pretending.

Except suddenly they weren't. Now

Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

Then another boy from her past

returns to her life, and Lara Jean's

feelings for him return too.

Can a girl be in love with two

boys at the same time?"

My Thoughts

I have to say, this was a pretty nice sequel to the love that I have for the first book. If anything, I might have liked it just that tiny bit more. The moments just got cuter, I liked the character that was introduced, like love him, and characters that we met in the first book, we got to know a little better.

I'll get into that later.

But the best thing about this book was the cute moments, plus the fact that because the first book was just starting out, it meant that Lara Jean had matured as a character, so I enjoyed the situations she was thrown into in this book.

Overall, because of the more mature and different situations that she encountered within this book, actually made me like and appreciate Lara Jean more as a character. She was a lot more daring in this book, and I was glad that the events in the first book had impacted her in a positive way.

As for the new character, I cannot explain how much I adore John Ambrose McClaren. He is just, aww I love him. And I love Peter. How do I choose? I wonder what will happen with them in the third and final book. I hope something does. Whether it's good or bad, I'm not sure quite which one I want it to be.

And Genevieve. It was hard not to see in a different light, from than the simple minded I-hate-anyone-that-tries-to-get-between-me-and-Peter front from the first book. I hope something positive between Lara and Genevieve happens in the second book.

Chris probably wouldn't like that. Maybe it could involve her too.

As this is a spoiler free review (as much as I might like to, especially as this has been out for three years, more or less) I cannot talk about certain scenes that I love. Especially including certain scenes about snow. And a certain sassy old lady. Just all of those scenes.

Also, the scenes including a certain shildhood game and HOW IT MEANS SO MUCH MORE NOW.

But it's still good.

You know what, I just love all the scenes. The whole book.

Overall, this book killed me in kindness. I can't see how Jenny Han could possibly write a better book than this one. But I'm hoping.

I'm reading Always and Forever Lara Jean month and I AM NOT READY for it to be over. I'm so invested in this amazingly cute, hilarious story.

I have no chill.

I'm not ready.

But, ready or not, I'm reading the last book.

So that's all I have for you today! I hope you enjoyed my super emotional and desperate review! Let me know your thoughts!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I will see you all on Monday- it's Easter holidays for the next two weeks, so that means:

CONSISTENT POSTS!

HURRAY!

Byeeee!

-Abi xxxxxxxx

Introducing... Tiny Pretty Things, by Sona Charaipotra

Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I haven't done one of these for a couple of months. 

And I stuck for ideas. 

And I sort of didn't to post a full week of reviews. 

So here's my introduction to a book that I will pick up if not this month, but next month for sure. 

Tiny Pretty Things

"Black swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed 

novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be 

the prima at their elite ballet school. 

Gigi, Bette and June, three top students at an exclusive 

Manhatten ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. 

Free spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance- but the very act 

might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the 

shadow of her ballet-star sister brings out a dangerous edge in

her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or 

her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams 

forever. 

When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, 

manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best."  

What appeals to me about this book is:

It has dance in it.

I mean, I'm not a dancer. I dabble when I'm in a show, like Hairspray for example, (I'm playing Prudy Pingleton in Hairspray (amateur) in Hairspray and I am loving this character) where a bit of dancing is required.

But I can't do contemporary and ballet, which is why I love reading books with ballet in them, which doesn't happen a whole lot, which is why I'm looking forward to pick this duology up. 

Ballet is so technical and you have to be so passionate and have it be your life to take it as far as these girls have done, and I'm looking forward to reading and deciding how authentic this book is. 

The diversity. 

Diversity is something that readers are hoping to read about more and more within the book community nowadays, and I am certainly among them.
And although ballet is an art that there's a particular body type that ballet companies like to see (I'm not saying that you can't do ballet if your a different body type, just that's what is particular about ballet) I like that there's diversity within the book.

It sounds dark and twisted. 
From what I know about this book is it includes addiction, whether that's to ballet, or something else, I don't know. I mean, the final sentence on the blurb sends shivers down my spine.
And books that are dark and twisted I tend to enjoy the most.


So that is my introduction to the Tiny Pretty Things duology!
I hope you enjoyed it! I haven't seen people talking about this one a whole lot on Booktube, but it's everywhere on Bookstagram, and I can't wait to pick it up.
And if this sounds like the sort of thing you might be interested in, then let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear what you thought of it, or if you want to pick it up!

So that is all I have for today!
I will see you all on Friday, when I will be posting my next review!
Byeeee!

-Abi xxxxxx

To All The Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1), BY Jenny Han

Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And there's no shying away anymore!

I have to continue with all the reviews I have yet to post! 

Up next, To All The Boys I've Loved Before!

Enjoy!

Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han

Genre: Contemporary & Romance

Release date: 15th April, 2014

Status: Book 1 in a trilogy

Pages: 420

Blurb: "What if all the crushes you ever had found out 

how you felt about them... all at once?

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean song keeps her love 

letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They 

aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for 

her; these are the ones she's written. One for every 

boy she's ever loved- five in all. When she 

writes, she pours out her heart and soul and

says all the things she would never say in real 

life, because her letters are for her eyes only. 

Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and 

suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from 

imaginary to out of control." 

My Thoughts

This could quite possibly, be one of the cutest books that I've ever read. It just reads with such humour, such cuteness that it felt like a dream. (If that's not too cheesy, though I feel like it is.) It has a clear plot, with the letters being mailed out, and all the guys coming up to Lara Jean, who I absolutely loved as a character, as well as the two other Song sisters, and I loved all the cute and funny and not cheesy moments throughout the book.

I am so glad that I decided to pick this book up ahead of schedule.

The thing with To All the Boys I Loved Before, was that I could not put it down once I picked it up. It was one of those books where I lost track of the pages, it was such a good read, and that doesn't happen often.

Now, a bit about the premise. This is the story of Lara Jean and every time she has a crush on a boy, she writes a letter to that boy- and she doesn't half heart it- she puts everything, all her feelings, her thoughts about the boy that she's ever thought. She doesn't mail it, but when she's done, she puts it in a hatbox and keeps it. It's not specifically to the boy, but it's a way of clarifying her feelings, of moving on. And then one day, they're all mailed out.

Major disaster. This book is about Lara Jean dealing with the repercussions of the letters being mailed out. And a big part of what I like about this book is how relatable her reactions are to what I would do. Like I feel like I would react in exactly the same way.

Also, another big part about what I liked about the book was how much Lara Jean's confidence grew within the book, but that her personality didn't change. That is one thing that I really don't see that often, even in contemporaries. But her personality didn't change once throughout the book, except for the fact that she stopped doubting herself and started to see the value in herself, and a large part of that was Peter.

Peter was a character that I wasn't ultimately sure about when he was introduced. But in less than a conversation, my opinion had changed so much it surprised even me.

But he's such a sweetheart, I love him so much. He has a special place in my heart at the moment.

I loved the other characters too, but Kitty and Margot and their Dad in particular. It's so rare to see a family that loves and cherishes each-other as much as this family does. They all try their hardest to make their little but compact family work that you can just tell that they love each-other to their heart's content and that's just something I rarely get to see.

Also, (there's a lot of things I loved about this book) all the baking sounded so delicious. It made me hungry every time I read about the food.

On the other hand, there actually wasn't that much that I disliked about this book. The only critique I have is that it all seems a bit young, the way everything was described was a bit young. But I soon got used to that and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Overall, this is an astounding amazing read and at this point I am loving it all. (Including the second book, which I have already read- review coming soon. And it won't take another week, I promise!)

Recommend this to people that want a YA pick me up!

So that is all I have!

I will be back on Wednesday with some kind of post.

I hope you have a lovely day and I will see you then.

BYEEEEEE!

-Abi xxxxx

I Love Spring Book Tag

Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And it's time  for my monthly book tag!

As Spring is finally here, I thought it fitting to post a tag about spring! 

1. How is spring where you live?

Well at the moment, it's uncharacteristically warm and bright in the UK, but my prediction is that once April Showers hits, there won't be much sun from around that point. I'm cherishing the sunlight at the moment, because I know it won't last. 

2. Most anticipated book this spring?

I think I'm going to go with this one. I need the Hardcover copy because that's what I have for Caraval, but that's not even why its my most anticipated spring release. The first book in the trilogy was so dark and mysterious and I can't wait to see what Stephanie Garber has done with book two!

3. What book cover makes you think of spring?

I actually struggled with this question quite a lot. I was scrolling through my Goodreads, looking at books that I've read. Then I saw this and I was just like "Yeah!". Because the cover kind of makes me think of hope, the serene blue background, the flower, and the bright pastel colours. I know that the themes within this book bears no resemblance to peace and hope, but that's what I interpret from the cover. 

4. Where are you going to read this spring?

...
In my usual places? On the college bus, and during lunch at the Nursery?
I don't know, maybe if it's warm, and there's a barbecue at my Nan's house or something, maybe then I'll read outside. But besides that, I highly doubt that I'll venture outside to read.

5. Find a cover with the sun on it!

There's the sun at the top, and it's shimmering on to the water. It's a beautiful cover and I as much as it seems like it's a cool contemporary, it's NOT. It's nowhere near. And I'm so glad that it isn't! Nothing more than that; if you haven't read it, go and read it. 

6. What are your favourite spring reads?

Although this isn't a terribly drastic change, I do tend to read more contemporaries in the spring and summer seasons, more so than I would in the autumn and winter months. Saying that, if there's a fantasy or a sci-fi YA read that I'm particularly excited about, I'll pick those up too. 

7. Find a book with a ton of different colours on it. 

Something about this just screams colourful to me. The opposing components of colour within the circle, that glint of shine on top, and the section of shadow. It perfectly symbolises what the book is about, and it draws you in with the different colours. 

TAGS

Norees @No Reads Too Great

Elin @Book Owlie

Sarge @Synopses by Sarge

So that's going to do it today! I hope you enjoyed the tag, and let me know any answers to any questions on here in the comments! 

I hope you have a lovely day and I will see you all on Friday!

Byeee!

-Abi xxxx

Stealing Snow (Stealing Snow #1), by Danielle Paige

Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And because of my huge funk away from posting last month I realised that I am a million book reviews behind schedule! 

So, this is the start to the steady climb back up to the top, when it comes to reviews! 

The first one is Stealing Snow, so enjoy! 

Title: Stealing Snow

Author: Danielle Paige

Genre: Fantasy 

Release date: 20th September, 2016

Status: Book 1 in the Stealing Snow trilogy 

Pages:

Blurb: 

My Thoughts

Before I read this all the way through, I had previously tried maybe a year ago, and never got past like 70 pages or so. I thought the book was hard to get into, it put me off the idea of picking up another Danielle Paige book ever again. 

But, spurred on by the challenge I had set myself, to read every single book that I hadn't get finished, I cautiously picked it up again. 

And for some reason, I didn't hate it. Maybe it was that my reading taste might have changed over the past year, or maybe it was because I was in the mood for a fairy-tale retelling that didn't take itself too seriously, I don't know. But it was exactly what I needed at the time. 

Saying that, it wasn't the perfect fairytale retelling. There were certainly some issues that I had with this book, though we'll get to that later. 

At the start of the book, Snow is a patient in a mental hospital, after walking into a mirror when she was six. She has dreams that of a mysterious tree that she's never seen, so she thinks that she's crazy. She also has a relationship/friendship with Bane, a fellow patient with a fascination for fire. 

A random visit from a stranger who tells her to meet him at the Tree, and Bane is dragged through a mirror, not to be seen again, and Snow makes her escape to search for Bane. 

When she arrives at the Tree, Snow discovers there is not one but two prophesies that claim that she is the princess of Algid, which is the kingdom, and that she will either end the destruction of Tyrannic father, or that she will aid him in his evil ruling. 

That's where the story starts. Over the course of the next 250 pages, she will explore the rest of the kingdom, find out more about her heritage, and there are some pretty interesting fight scenes too as Snow tries to take control of her power. (She can control snow and ice)

When it comes to Snow, I didn't particularly dislike her, but she just seemed generic to me. She was kind of like every female heroin to me. She was unwavering in her search for Bane, which proved that she was loyal, and that's no small feat when being told she will either aid or go up against the King in less than a month, and learning to gain control over her powers all at once. 

We got introduced to a bunch of interesting characters throughout the course of the book, and the most interesting in my opinion was the band of thieves that can communicate telepathically. I very much enjoyed meeting them. 

Which brings me to something I wasn't so fond of. The love square. That's right, SQUARE! There were three love interests throughout the book, and they all seemed sort of disconnected from each-other. I just feel like they could have been better. 

An ongoing part of the book that I enjoyed has to be Snow's training of her constantly emerging powers. She was pushed off a mountain, and almost drowned so she could learn to master her powers better. It was certainly a test of power and put her under pressure. It was kind of random the way they went about it but it was a part I enjoyed all the same. 

One little critique I have is that the story seemed to jump from one point to another super quickly. It was almost fast paced, then it was resolved, and then it was like, "Okay, on to the next part." And everything that had happened previously was forgotten. There was no learning character for Snow, except for the progression of the powers.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. It had it's flaws, which I said at the beginning, but the good outweighed the good (even if it may not seem like that from my review.)
The ending was one to remember, so I will definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out in 2019.
I would recommend this for readers that enjoy fairytale retellings, and are looking for something that they'll be able to fly through.

So that is all I have for you all today! I hope you enjoyed my review and don't hesitate to comment what you thought about the book yourselves! It was certainly an interesting read for me and I'm wondering if you thought the same!
I will be back on Monday, I hope you enjoy the weekend, and I'll see you then.
Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

1-10 Books of 2018

Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I've finally reached 10 books this year! I'm 1/6 of my way to completing my Goodreads goal, and even though that doesn't seem like much, I'm right on schedule apparently! 

Here are the books I've read so far this year!

1. This Mortal Coil (This Mortal Coil #1), by Emily Suvada

I have a review linked up at the title if you want to check out my more in-depth thoughts on this book but if you can get past the info-dumping at the start, you become invested in this book not long after. I can also excuse the info-dumping because it's relevant to the story, and necessary so you fully grasp the world and the plot that you are reading about. But if you are a fan of sci-fi this is a must read. Each ending to each chapter left me wanting more and I couldn't stop reading! A must read for sci-fi junkees!

2. Unbecoming, by Jenny Downham

This review is from a couple of years back, (linked in the title), but all the thoughts are still relevant to what I thought when I was re-reading this, after my mind was blown by the ending of Mortal Coil. I needed time to process what I was reading with This Mortal Coil, and this was the perfect read for that. If you haven't read it yet, pick it up if you're in the mind for a contemporary that includes LGBT issues, being true to yourself, mental health issues, Alzheimer's, in a real and truthful way, then pick this up, because let's face it, I talk about this book often enough.

3. Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1), by Laini Taylor

Yet another book that expresses my full thoughts in a review. Though unlike the others, I am unable to tell you my overall thoughts with this book, because it's everything. The writing, flawless. The characters, flawless. Perfection, and I can't wait for the second and final book,  in this duology (Muse of Nightmares) to be released on 2nd October. That isn't even the full extent of how much I am anticipating this book, but that's all I can say. 

4. The Diary of Anne Frank

I literally can't fault this. It was real life, this physically happened. So hard-hitting, when I was reading it, I'd be reading it, and then you realise that it was real life, and it just hits you that much harder, the hardships that they all went through, every single one of them. I feel like this should be a book that everybody should experience at some time in their life. 

5. Fireblood (Frostblood #2), by Elly Blake

This was the book that above all, surprised me the most for the books that I read in January. I flew through it in a couple of days and frankly, the third and final book in the trilogy can't come fast enough. I don't have to wait too long though, because Nightblood is released on 5th June. In truth, I honestly think that Fireblood was better than the first, which is hard to top, because Frostblood was a pretty amazing book. The story starts with Ruby and Arceus, ruling the Frostblood kingdom, although the Frost Court don't approve of Ruby. The Minax is creating havoc elsewhere, possessing and killing. Ruby believes the only way to stop the Minax is to catch an opposing Minax- and so she begins her journey to the Fireblood kingdom and our story begins. 

6. My Husband's Son, by Deborah O' Connor

This was a quick read. Not particularly rememberable, though I wasn't expecting the ending. Some of it. The rest I saw a mile coming. Similar to Baby Doll, by Hollie Overton. So, if you enjoyed Baby Doll, I recommend picking this one up too. I just feel like I could have gotten more from this book, but it was still enjoyable.

7. Stealing Snow (Stealing Snow #1), by Danielle Paige

Although it doesn't come as a surprise, considering my blogging funk last month, but I can't believe I don't have a review for this yet! There's one coming this month, I promise! To be honest, I was sort of hesitant coming into this, because I'd tried it before and I didn't like it at all! But second time round, with lower expectations, I was surprised to discover I actually enjoyed this! Although it wasn't perfect, it was a decent read and I'm looking forward to next year, when the sequel comes out!

8. All the Boys I've Loved Before (All the Boys I've Loved Before #1), by Jenny Han

My god, the favourite of February for sure! I read this in less than 24 hours, I'm about to start the sequel but I've got high expectations because this one was so amazing. If you haven't picked this up, what are you doing? It's so cute, so funny, it's family orientated, and it's a contender for not just one of my favourites, but my top five list. I actually can't believe how long I waited until I picked this up. But I have now, and I can't wait for the second.

9. Handle with Care, by Jodi Picoult

This was a surprisingly easy book to fly through. I mean, I didn't read it any quicker than I would any other book, but since it's 500+ pages, I figured that was pretty good! It shared some similarities to My Sister's Keeper, but the case was different, and it was something I was interested in, for some odd reason. So overall, it was a book I enjoyed, though it's not one of my favourites. I recommend this for people who enjoy books that bring court cases and medical ideology within the book.

10. Contagion (Dark Matter #1), by Teri Terry

This was a re-read, to recap on what I'd read before I picked Contagion, which I have just recently finished a few hours back. Contagion is the start of a trilogy, and it's a sci-fi book, but it reads like a bit of a Dystopian. It's a story about an epidemic that is spreading throughout the country, killing 95% of the population. Nobody is safe, but Shay and Kai are searching for Callie, Kai's little sister. My brain is in knots from the second book's ending, but I highly recommend this to any reader, really because Teri Terry is one of my absolute favourite authors!

So those are the first 10 books that I've read in 2018! Hopefully I'll be able to read more amazing books like these in the future!

So that is all I have for you guys today!

I hope you have a good book to read, because I am all set with P.S. I Still Love You!

I will see you all on Friday, with my Greatest Showman Film Review!

Byeeeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

   

March TBR (2018)

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And it's a new month! Great way to start spring- with a heap of snow in my town!

But with a new month comes a new TBR- and I can't wait to get to this one!

Enjoy!

1. Deception (Dark Matter #2), by Teri Terry

I am currently about 100 pages into this book at present, and although it's a slow going, something about this book is super intriguing. I'm worried because it's the second book in the trilogy, and often the second book in the trilogy is not up to the standard of the first. I can't give much away about the plot because it is the second book, but it's basically a search for the truth of what started an epidemic that has wiped out 95% of the population. The survivors are hunted, believed to have the powers to control the population. The first book was fast paced and gripping and I can't wait to see what the next one has to bring!

2. P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2), by Jenny Han

I read the first book about midway through February, and I'm eager to pick up the next. I've heard somewhat mixed reviews of this one, that it's not up to the hype of the first one, but I'm excited to pick this up all the same. I don't know as much about this one as I did the first, but I'm holding back the urge to pick this book up right this second because I have to read something else first! Fingers crossed I don't give in! Wish me luck!

3. The Hazel Wood (The Hazel Wood #1), by Melissa Albert

I know precisely zilch about this book, but it was on for a deal in the Tesco near my college, and this has gotten so much hype and so many fantastic reviews, and I was intrigued. It's the second shortest read in my TBR this month and I'm hoping that I'll be able to fly through it. From what I know of the genre, it's meant to be fantasy, and It's been a while since I've read a fantasy, so I'm looking forward to picking it up.

4. Love, Simon by Becky Albertralli

First things first: this is the same story as "Simon vs the Homosapien's Agenda". It just has a different title and cover. And do I wish I had the original design? Definitely. But I saw this book (this was the other for the deal in Tesco, by the way) and I want to read it. And so, I got the book with the other title and the new cover. Okay, now that's over. I can't to read this. I will for sure be going to see the film and I will also definitely be reviewing it! The book however, I know like nothing about. I know it's meant to be light-hearted and adorable, and I'm pretty fine with just knowing that to be honest.

5. This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1), by V.E Schwab

6. Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2), by V.E Schwab

Finally, I have this duology on my TBR! I don't know what it is, but something about this duology just keeps making me think about it! There's a select group of trilogies and series' and duologies that I cannot get out of my brain. Series' like this one, the Nevenight trilogy, or the Shiny Pretty Things duology. This is one of them! And I can't wait to pick them up and just marathon straight through them.

So that is my March TBR (2018)! I hope you enjoyed it, and let me know what books you'll be reading this month!

So that is all I have for you guys this month! I will see you all on Monday with my Greatest Showman film review, so look out for that!

I will see you then, goodbye!

-Abi xxxxxx