January Book Haul

New Year...new books!! I thought my book accumulation would have calm down at the start of 2016, but it seems to only have gotten worse. I accumulated 18 books in the month of January, 2 which are not pictured because I am forgetful. I'm going to be splitting them up in two parts the first being books I bought and the second half being review books/books sent by publshers:

Part One: Books I Bought

1. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

I actually bought this on New Year's Day because I have no chill when it comes to book buying. I was perusing through various thriftstores when I happened upon a perfect copy of Poison Study for only 50 cents, so of course I had to snatch it up, this has been a book on my tbr for so long and heard really good things about this trilogy and its prequel.

2. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
3. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

I am so in love with these Barnes and Nobles paperback classics, not only are they pretty and inexpensive I can find them every at thriftstore and used bookstore which equates to even more savings. I picked up Treasure Island and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea for only $1 each and it was certainly the highlight of my day. This year I definitely want to delve into more classics. I already own an illustrated edition of Treasure Island and am so glad to add this beautiful copy to my collection.

4. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

If you didn't know already you might soon realize that I love venturing to thriftstores to find some really great deals on books and this was no exception. After City of Heavenly Fire released and I concluded with the Mortal Instruments series, I wanted to collected the entire series as a whole so I can one day reread. I knew I had no desire to reread it anytime soon so I decided to just buy them secondhand whenever I see a good price for them whether instore or online. I was very excited to buy this for only 50 cents, It's in such good condition and I knew I had to buy it because I rarely see the third book in secondhand shops anywhere. I now have all the books in this series besides City of Ashes, which I'm eagerly awaiting to get my hands on.

5 & 6. Theft of Swords and Rise of Empire by Michael J. Sullivan

Looking around on my shelves I've come to realize that as a fantasy lover I am really lacking in adult high fantasy. I recently created a fantasy tbr jar to help me pick and vary the fantasy books I read. This is definitely one on the near top of my list. All I know is that it follows two thieves, who are on the run after they are framed for the murder of the king. That's all I need to know to get me interested before buy these on Amazon. I've heard really fantastic things about the writing and atmosphere that Michael J, Sullivan creates, so I'm prepared to sit down and indulge in these lengthy books.

Part Two: Review Books

7. Fantastic Cities by Steve McDonald

I've been meaning to find out about all this adult coloring book craze, but have to admit I wasn't really interested in coloring botanical images. Fantastic Cities is a gorgeous adult coloring book filled with numerous illustrated images of cities real and imagined. I have already started coloring in this and I'm in love with these illustrations. It's so convenient when you want to listen to an audiobook/podcast and can color at the same time.

Publisher: Chronicle Books

8. Silver In the Blood by Jessica Day George

Forever in love with this stunning cover. Silver in the Blood is the story about two cousins who are sent to Romania to learn a terrifying family secret. The synopsis is pretty vague, but I think it's best to go into this book that way. I have recently read it and enjoyed for the most part with it's intrigue, mystery, and romance blended all into one. Review will be up soon.

Publisher: Bloomsbury

9-11. Alfred Kropp trilogy by Rick Yancey.

This trilogy consist of The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, The Seal of Solomon, The Thirteenth Skull. I will admit that I wanted to read this because it reminded me of Percy Jackson.  Alfred Kropp trying to survive high school somehow ends up with the legendary King Arthur sword and delivers it to the wrong hands. Also this is by Rick Yancey aka author of the 5th Wave trilogy, one of my favorite books. I really hope to experience the same lyrical writing that Rick has, but with a bit more humor.

Publisher: Bloomsbury

12. The History of the Rain by Niall Williams

As much as I love this cover, I'll will admit that I really love the hardcover version more:

Can't go wrong with books on a book cover!

Over time I've heard mixed things about this book. Some people absolutely love it and some people not at all. I also remember this being longlisted for the Man Book Prize. Synopsis:

Bedbound in her attic room beneath the falling rain, in the margin between this world and the next, Plain Ruth Swain is in search of her father. To find him, enfolded in the mystery of ancestors, Ruthie must first trace the jutting jaw lines, narrow faces and gleamy skin of the Swains from the restless Reverend Swain, her great-grandfather, to grandfather Abraham, to her father, Virgil - via pole-vaulting, leaping salmon, poetry and the three thousand, nine hundred and fifty eight books piled high beneath the two skylights in her room, beneath the rain.

The stories -- of her golden twin brother Aeney, their closeness even as he slips away; of their dogged pursuit of the Swains' Impossible Standard and forever falling just short; of the wild, rain-sodden history of fourteen acres of the worst farming land in Ireland -- pour forth in Ruthie's still, small, strong, hopeful voice.

This synopsis alone has me looking forward to this. There's nothing I love more than books that really theme on literature and the importance of stories.

Publisher: Bloomsbury

13-17. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.

The lovely team at Fierce Reads were kind enough to send me the Lunar Chronicles series as part of their series campaign. The Lunar Chronicles is definitely one of my top favorite series, full of action, adventure, stellar characters, and fairytale twists. I've already read all of these besides Winter which I'm beyond excited to get to in the near future.

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

18. Manhattan Mayhem edited by Mary Higgins Clark

Manhattan Mayhem is an mystery anthology by a plethora of talented writers who each tell a short story in various locations around Manhattan. I've already read and reviewed this book here.

Publisher: Quirk Books

January Wrap-Up

Since I'm perpetually late at posting things, how about an extremely late January wrap-up in the middle of February?

The month of January was a pretty average month of reading for me. I read a total of 5 books, two of them being for school. Here's what I read:

1. Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 3 stars

“Words are finite organs of the infinite mind.”

Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a short essay, which I had to read for English class during our focus on transcendentalism. Emerson talks about our society's connection to nature and further discusses how nature can mimic human emotion. All in all I thought this essay was beneficial to those who truly admire nature and all of it's uncertainties.

2. Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 3 stars

“There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.”

Another essay I read from Emerson was Self-Reliance. In this Emerson divulges into a key transcendentalist property which is non-conformity. He urges each man to break from the bonds of society and choose their own path before them.. I fairly enjoyed this essay, though maybe a little less than I did for Nature.

3. The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 2 stars

“If there's a single lesson that life teaches us, it's that wishing doesn't make it so.”

This is probably the most disappointing book I'll read all year, which is saying a lot since the year just started. I went into The Magicians quite excited, for I had my eye on this book for quite some time now and with the TV showing coming out made me all the more to pick it up. It tells the story of Quentin who soon finds himself attending a magical college in upstate New York. I know many people dubbed this as the 'adult' Harry Potter, but since I haven't read that I can't make a comparison. I did like this book in the beginning, but as you read on it just gets even more weird and outlandish up to the point where I just decided to skim the last 90 pages or so because I was so done with this book. If you want to know more of why I really didn't like this book I have a mini review on my Instagram here.

The only redeeming thing is this gorgeous cover.

4. Written in Red by Anne Bishop

Rating: ★★★★☆ ½ 4.5 stars

"He watched her, listened to her, and knew she was truly asleep. He kissed her forehead and found the act pleasing for its own sake."

“Whether it was true or not, it eased his heart to think there was something beyond the physical plane, something that felt benevolent toward humans, because the gods knew there wasn’t much on the physical plane that felt benevolent toward them.”

The only book I read this month that I absolutely loved!! Written in Red is about Meg Corbyn, a blood prophet, meaning that when she cuts her skin she can see prophecies, is on the run from her compound and ends up living among the terre indigene, an otherworldly species, Others, which consists of shapeshifters, vampires, elemental deities and plenty more. There's always been animosity between the Others and humans, but overtime you begin to them take a liking to Meg and maybe even change their stereotype on all humans. This my first dive into adult urban fantasy, and I am so glad to have finally picked up this book. There isn't much, or any romance at all in this first novel and the plot is pretty slow building, but what makes this book one of my favorites are the well developed characters. I have a full review here for more of my thoughts.

I read this in e-book form!! :)

5. Manhattan Mayhem edited by Mary Higgins Clark

Rating: ★★★☆☆ ½ 3.5 stars

"Well, Detective, have you ever heard of money? It's thin and green and you need it to pay for things." 

Manhattan Mayhem is anthology of various crime/mystery stories that center around various locations in Manhattan, over different time periods and characters. Could you imagine my elation when I heard about this book? For I love books that take place in Manhattan and I always love a good mystery story. This book is filled throughout with beautiful NYC black and white photography which gives it even more of an allure. But whenever I read an anthology there's always stories that I love and some I just find to be alright. Since there is so many authors in this anthology, many of the stories are short and at times it felt like they just cut off, but there are also some that really hook you in a matter of pages and neatly resolves itself by the end. Full review here.

Review: Manhattan Mayhem edited by Mary Higgins Clark

Title: Manhattan Mayhem
Authors: Mary Higgins Clark, Julie Hyzy, Lee Child, Nancy Pickard, Thomas H. Cook, Brendan DuBois, Jon L. Breen, Ben H. Winters, Angela Zeman, N.J. Ayres, Margaret Maron, Judith Kelman, Persia Walker, T. Jefferson Parker, Justin Scott, S.J. Rozan and Jeffery Deaver.
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2016
Publisher: Quirk Books

Rating 3.5 stars

Book was provided by publisher for an honest review.

Synopsis: Best-selling suspense novelist Mary Higgins Clark invites you on a tour of Manhattan’s most iconic neighborhoods in this anthology of all-new stories from the Mystery Writers of America. From the Flatiron District (Lee Child) and Greenwich Village (Jeffery Deaver) to Little Italy (T. Jefferson Parker) and Chinatown (S.J. Rozan), you’ll encounter crimes, mysteries, and riddles large and small. Illustrated with iconic photography of New York City and packaged in a handsome hardcover, Manhattan Mayhem is a delightful read for armchair detectives and armchair travelers alike!

Before reading this book I had already fallen in love with this external design. With a gorgeous map of the island of Manhattan on the hardcover.

And pages full of beautiful black and white New York photography.

An anthology that centers around different Manhattan locations, full of mystery and crime stories, and gorgeous photography this book sounded exactly like all the things I love. But why did I give this book 3.5 stars?

Manhattan Mayhem is essentially a love letter to New York City. Each story is set in a different Manhattan neighborhood, varying time periods, and people of different ages. Of course with any anthology there are going to be stories that you prefer over others, and some that you didn't like at all. I went into this book quite excited due to the fact that I was happy to finally be getting back into mystery/crime fiction. I've realized that over the years that this a genre that I don't really reach for often so it was great to be exposed to a variety of different authors, but after completing all of these stories I left feeling only mildly satisfied.

Personally, I feel that this book is best to be read at small intervals, rather than just reading all the stories at once. Had I done so maybe I would have enjoyed this anthology much more. Some of these mystery stories vary in length, and are pretty short, one being even seven pages long that it is hard to connect and really get into the story because it is so short, and at times I felt like it sort of cut off at the end. I do commend these authors for being able to tell a mystery story and being able to resolve it, in a matter of a few pages.

My favorite story would have to be Three Little Words by Nancy Pickard that takes place in the Upper East Side and follows a young woman named Priscilla who has only a few weeks to live, but is soon found stabbed to death while going for a walk. The doctor who had given her the news of her terminal cancer, goes to her funeral and soon unravels secrets about her estranged family.

Though that story was short, Nancy Pickard does a fantastic job of really grabbing you in and moving the scenes along so you're constantly on edge, until you reach the end and is aching for more.

I definitely recommend if you are interested in reading Manhattan Mayhem to read it at small intervals and savor each story, and admire and become quickly creeped out by all the wonders and terrors that these authors have to offer.

2016 Anticipated Reads

New Year...equates to anxiously waiting on new book releases. I know this is coming extremely late in, we're literally in February now, but I didn't have any anticipated reads in the month of January so I thought it'd be fine to just post this this month instead.

Please note that all these dates are only accurate for now, because we all know how things sometimes get pushed back and some might not even be released this year, so please be aware of that.

1. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: March 8, 2016

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Can we just take a moment to admire this cover? I have never been so excited to physically own a book than I am for the hardcover of Lady Midnight. And yes, I already planned where I am placing it on my shelf. Does anyone remember that this was suppose to release in fall 2015, but it then got pushed back? Anyways this release date is pretty much set for March 8th. Lady Midnight is at the top of my anticipated reads of this year. This is the first book in Cassandra Clare's new Shadowhunter series The Dark Artifices. Set five years after City of Heavenly Fire, Lady Midnight focuses on parabatai, Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn, characters we were previously introduced in City of Heavenly Fire. I'm excited to see how Clare sets the Los Angeles institute and these new characters. It's just so exciting to finally be getting back into the Shadow World and I hope for the same humor that were in her previous books.

2. The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

Release Date: November 2016

Publisher: Bloomsbury

This is just a placeholder for the real cover, but I'm already getting the feeling that the actual cover will be a similar color to this one. This is another read I'm dying to get my hands on. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that The Bone Season is one of my favorite books. The Song Rising is book #3 of the Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon, in which she plans to be a seven book series. If you haven't read it yet then I definitely recommend you read The Bone Season, set in a futuristic London in which our clairvoyant protagonist Paige Mahoney is a dreamwalker. In a society were clairvoyancy is illegal Paige works in the Underworld of London until one night she gets kidnap. I don't want to say too much about it because I think you should go and read it without knowing much prior. Still slightly sad that The Song Rising doesn't release until fall of this year so the wait will be long and tortuous, but well worth it in the end.

3. Diviners book #3  by Libba Bray

Release Date: Hopefully sometime in 2016

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Okay this is a book I'm being incredibly optimistic about. There's no title, no release date, no cover, not even a cover placement holder (which is why I've graced you with my own photos of the first two books) If you follow my Instagram you know that The Diviners is pretty much my favorite book ever. Set in the 1920s it follows our protagonist Evie O'Neill who has the abilities to read objects, meaning that whenever she holds and object of someones and concentrates on it, she can see past memories of where that object has been and also that person's life. This essentially lands her in trouble and her parents send her to live with her uncle in New York City, just around the time a string of occult murders begin happening, and Evie believes that her power can help catch the killer. This story is both equal parts creepy and humorous at times. 

There's so much diverse characters in this story and you get to meet more diviners along the way and Libba Bray has a great way of balancing the eeriness of the murders with humor that can be found throughout the book. Book #2, Lair of Dreams, finally released in August 2015 after constantly being pushed back relentlessly. But it was all worth the wait. I honestly don't know any information on the release date of this third book, literally all I know comes from stalking Libba's twitter and from what I can gather is that she is currently in the middle of writing it, so I'll keep my fingers cross.

4. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: April 26th 2016

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Sighhh, I can't believe this series is almost over, but all good things must come to an end. The Raven King is the fourth book in The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. I finally got around to reading the first book, The Raven Boys in 2015, and then The Dream Thieves, and Blue Lily, Lily Blue consecutively. I immediately fell in love with all these characters. I put this series off for so long because back in 2011 I read the entire Shiver trilogy by her and I honestly didn't like it at all. There was something lackluster and bland about the characters in that trilogy, so much so that I DNF'd the last book halfway through. This was the complete opposite with The Raven Boys. The driving force behind these books are it's characters, you can't help but fall for them and their quest. I'm equal parts anxious and terrified to see how it all ends, and hopefully it doesn't break my heart.

5. Throne of Glass book #5 by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: September 2016

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

No title, no cover, no set release date, but at least we have a cover placeholder! Throne of Glass series needs no introduction as I'm sure many are aware/in love with this series. I finally bought this series back in March 2015 and binge read the first three books and the novella bind up that month. The fourth book Queen of Shadows released in September and by then I was anxiously awaiting the events after Heir of Fire. Though I did have a few problems with Queen of Shadows, it still ended up on my Top 5 Favorite Books of 2015. I'm pretty sure this cover is going to be a grayish tone like this placeholder because I remember last year's placeholder for Queen of Shadows was pink and then the cover ended up being so. Probably the cover release I'm most excited for this year, and hopefully amazes me. Also who else is excited to finally see Aelin ascend her throne and see her people again?

6. The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

Release Date: March 29th, 2016

Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux

For some reason I did not expect this book to be on this list, but after reading The Winner's Crime, I knew I needed this book in my life badly. I read The Winner's Curse around the week it release, a time in which there was so much hype going around it. I didn't pay much mind to it and ended up loving it, but after a couple of months it fell out of my mind. It wasn't until I reread it and finally started The Winner's Curse over a year later that I realized that I was so in love with these characters. There's something about Arin and Kestrel's relationship that feels so real...I cannot even talk about it without the strong urge to reread this over again. Marie Rutkoski's writing is incredibly beautiful without being over flowery, and I promise you that these books will consume you and ruin your life (for the better). Incredibly sad that The Winner's Kiss is the last book in this trilogy, I'm wishing that this story wraps efficiently and do these characters justice.

7. Hamilton: A Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeffrey Seller

Release Date: April 12th, 2016

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

This comes as no surprise to anyone who follows me on twitter. You already know that I am a bit Hamilton obsessed. Okay a lot. Okay irrevocably die-hard stalkerish Hamilton obsessed. If you don't know what Hamilton is let me drop some knowledge (ha). Anyways, Hamilton is an American musical currently on Broadway about founding father Alexander Hamilton, written/created by the extremely talented Lin-Manuel Miranda, who not only wrote all 46 songs to the soundtrack, but also stars as Hamilton himself. Which he first got inspiration from reading the biography of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. The soundtrack is a blend of hip-hop and rap, which sounds absolutely stellar in this revolutionary setting. The cast is incredibly diverse and filled with amazing vocals. I have always enjoyed learning about American history, but Hamilton really solidified my love, and now I keep spouting random facts about the American Revolution and annoying those around me. ☺ I'll most likely never get to see it in person since tickets are so hard to get and not to mention expensive, but for now I'll just keep playing the soundtrack religiously everyday.

Okay, but back to the book. I honestly don't know much about this book only that Lin does go more in depth on getting Hamilton from just an idea then to the Public theatre all the way to Broadway. I believe it not only talks about the American Revolution, but the diverse revolution we have today. Plus, I heard that there will be many footnotes by Lin in it, which I'm really looking forward to. Have you seen his twitter? He's hilarious! I will never be satisfied until April.☺

8. The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

Release Date: May 17th, 2016

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

I believe this is the first time I've had a debut author on my most anticipated reads list, but I had my eyes on this book for awhile. I can go on about how much I am looking forward to reading this, but I'm just going to leave you with a snippet from the goodreads synopsis:

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Honestly once I read the synopsis I immediately marked it to read. I really don't read enough debut fantasy books and that's something I'm trying to improve upon this and year and so excited to have this in my hands soon. I've also heard really stellar buzz around this book.

9. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Release Date: August 9th, 2016

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

I will admit that the trend in this list seems to be fantasy, so why not another? I acutally happened upon this book randomly when I was browsing through Macmillians upcoming releases. This was when there wasn't even a cover. From what I gather, Mia Covere is a daughter of an accused traitor, who has a gift of speaking with the shadows which leads her to the hearth of a retired killer. She ends up joining a school of assassins and apprentices to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. Seeking to soon get revenge on the people who destroyed her family. With that synopsis and badass cover has me anxiously awaiting summer so I can have this in my possession. I know Jay Kristoff is the co-author of Illuminae, which I haven't read, but heard pretty substantial reviews of the writing, so I'm hoping his newest solo novel does not disappoint.

10. The Last Star by Rick Yancey

Release Date: May 24th, 2016

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

The wait is finally almost over. In the whole truth this trilogy is one that hasn't been consistently in my mind recently. The 5th Wave was one of my favorite books I read back in 2013, so much so that I had to reread it before I finally got around the second book, The Infinite Sea. Though I did not enjoy it as much as the first one, it was quite substantial in its own right. I'm not really that in love with this cover, but that is what I said with the previous book, only to physically hold it and marvel at in the middle of Barnes and Noble.There's always a wave of anxiety every reader gets when faced with a concluding novel of a series, and that is definitely apparent through me right now. The writing in the previous books are so elegant and well drawn out I'm confident that it will make itself evident through this book.

11. The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

Release Date: May 3rd, 2016

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

An anticipated reads list is not complete without a Rick Riordan book. No one knows how beyond ecstatic I was when news came out that Rick Riordan was going to write more Greek mythology. After angering Zeus, the god Apollo is struck down and turned into a mortal until he can get back into Zeus' good graces. And now mortal, he is a much easier target for his enemies. Where else to turn but Camp Half-Blood? I know I am excited for all of these books, but I am so enthusiastic for this book to release. Rick confirmed that will be seeing the past demigods from the Heroes of Olympus (the main thing going on in my head was the fact that I would be getting more Percy) he also stated that stories of those characters will be wrapped up in this series, as it were not the case with Blood of Olympus, which was such a disappointing read for me. It was the first Rick Riordan book I gave 3 stars and was really not a good note to have fresh in my mind of my favorite characters. This was the redemption I was seeking for and the fact that we're going back to Camp Half-Blood is all the more to look forward to.

12. Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Release Date: September 27th, 2016

Publisher: Little Brown Books For Young Readers

Laini Taylor. New book.

That's all that needs to be said. I remember seeing this on goodreads one day and immediately added it to my tbr without having read the synopsis. If you haven't read Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, then I strongly suggest you read it now. It is without hesitation that I can say its one of the best young adult fantasy books out there. Daughter of Smoke and Bone is lyrical, mysterious, full of revolution and passion. There is so much weirdness and love, reading it becomes almost a safe haven for me. This cover placeholder for Strange the Dreamer is ominous and dream like, which is something I always associate with Laini's books. This is the current synopsis for goodreads for this book, though it might change:

the aftermath of a war between gods and men

a mysterious city stripped of its name

a mythic hero with blood on his hands

a young librarian with a singular dream

a girl every bit as perilous as she is imperiled

alchemy and blood candy, nightmares and godspawn, moths and monsters, friendship and treachery, love and carnage.

Welcome to Weep.

13. Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: November 8th, 2016

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

And my last anticipated read is Heartless by Marissa Meyer. I was going to put Stars Above in this spot instead, but since it literally released today I decided to just put Heartless instead. Marissa Meyer is continuing with her retelling trend, but this time it is no longer set in the Lunar Chronicles world. Heartless is a retelling of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, an unmarried Catherine is desired by many in Wonderland, even the King of Hearts, but during the ball where she is expected to accept the king's proposal, she then meets the mysterious court jester, Jest, and the two soon fall into a secret courtship. The more I read the synopsis, the more excited I am to read this. Why must November be so far away? Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series is one of my all time favorites, the third book Cress even making it onto my top 10 reads of 2015. Full of well-developed characters, thrilling plots, hilarious dialogue, and sprinkles of retellings it's definitely a perfect series to marathon while you wait out for Heartless.

There's an endless list of books that I'm excited for this year, but these 13 take the cake. I just hope none of the release dates get push back. What are some your anticipated reads of 2016? 

Review: Written in Red by Anne Bishop

Title: Written In Red

Author: Anne Bishop

Publication Date: March 5th 2013

Publisher: ROC

Series: Book #1 in The Others series

Rating  4.5 stars

Synopsis: As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.


Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

Such a stellar read!

One of my reading goals for 2016 was to really delve more into my favorite genre which so happens to be fantasy. I created a tbr jar compiled of various fantasy novels that I found through booktube, instagram, and goodreads suggestions. If you want to know what's in this jar you can check out my fantasy tbr shelf here.

I mainly put in a lot of underrated fantasy books, whether high/urban fantasy, being a mixture of both adult and young adult, I would expand my knowledge of the genre more besides only reading the most popular fantasy books which are out now. I was so ecstatic when this was my first pick of my fantasy tbr jar and it definitely did not disappoint.

Written in Red is a uniquely set world in which the humans are aware of the indigenous creatures (Others) that reside in the world. Terra indigene which consist of Wolves, vampire, spirit bears, Elementals (kickass female deities of the various seasons i.e. winter, spring...and elements such as air and fire), and many we have yet to discover who can take the form of humans whenever they find suitable.

It's a interesting dynamic in which the terra indigene rule over the human government and their laws, keeping what they only see as prey in line. I'm always up for a beautiful blend of fantasy with interesting government political structure. 

Our main character, Meg Corbyn ends up getting tangled in the world of these creatures as she seeks shelter in working for them as their Human Liaison, while hiding from those from the compound she escaped.

Being a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg was kept in a compound by The Controller who holds blood prophets captive and sells their prophecies for money. Reading about blood prophets was so fascinating to discover. Anne Bishop makes Meg out to be almost naive to the outside world after being in captivity and only learning what those in the compound allow her to, but once in the real world she seems to be able to grasp things quickly and is quite perceptive.

Before I read this I thought being a blood prophet would just be an added on thing to her character with limited aspects. But in all actuality is complex. Meg has this utter compulsion at times to cut her skin to see a prophecy whenever she feels something is out of her control, or she senses something is amiss. It really is something she struggles throughout this novel, as you learn that some blood prophets end up becoming insane over time.

Meg is able to find acceptance and solace in the Others, who in the beginning want nothing to do with her, but in the end becomes almost like a family to her.

What really make this book are the characters. We are introduced to to many in this first book alone, but Bishop does a great job of distinguishing each person. My favorite character interactions would have to be those between Meg and Simon Wolfgard, who is the leader of the Lakeside Courtyard in which they reside and the one who gives Meg the job after she comes in stumbling half frozen into his store that first night.

Simon goes though significant character growth throughout this novel. From having a strong dislike of humans in the beginning and seeing them as nothing more as prey to taking Meg in as a liaison and becoming more use to her you can see his dynamic slightly shift as tries to understand her.

Another dynamic that I truly loved was between Meg and Sam, an adorable Wolf pup who is terrified of humans after one night when his mother is killed by one. It was endearing to see Meg become a mother-like figure for him as he begins to become trusting of her and the outside world. It was interesting to see because we know virtually nothing about Meg's life, such as how she end up in the compound, did she even have parents or siblings? She is so much more than her prophecies, the way she can emphasize and try to understand others frustration and pain is a valuable human trait, which really drives the plot.

Though I will admit that the plot is really slow going at times, it really picks up during fight scenes and the eventual climax.

I love how how terrifyingly scary Anne Bishop can make the terra indigene. Cross them and they won't mind tearing you limb from limb. The fight scenes can be so unapologetically graphic and I strangely love it. I have issues okay.

The only reason why I gave this 4.5 stars instead of 5 was because I wasn't particularly fond of the writing, which I hope improves over the course of this series. I know this is labeled as adult urban fantasy, but I also definitely recommend this if you're a lover of young adult fantasy.

Overall, Written In Red was substantial read for me. With great characters, interesting world politics, and internal struggles, I can definitely see this series as becoming one of my favorites. Really excited to delve into the next book Murder of Crows soon.

December Wrap Up

In the month of December I read a total of 5 books, which wasn't at all the amount of books I wanted to complete last month but nonetheless here is my extremely late December Wrap-Up.

1. Life As We Knew It by  Susan Beth Pfeffer

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 2 stars

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer was my first read of the month and I really did not enjoy this at all. This was the choice for my school book club so in a way I felt an obligation to give this book a try even though I was wary of it. Life As We Knew It is a post apocalyptic novel that follows Miranda and her family as they struggle to survive on earth after the moon is knocked out of orbit and is in closer proximity to the earth, causing a change in weather conditions. 

This novel was quite taxing to read. The main source of my dislike would have to be the writing. The way that Pfeffer writes is read as juvenile and it was hard for me to discern if this way a middle grade or young adult book. There isn't much that happens in this novel, the plot mainly just focuses on Miranda and her family staying in their house. The rest of the characters in this novel felt very one-dimensional and I couldn't really connect to them. Though I gave this 2 stars instead of 1 because during the end of the novel Miranda began to redeem herself which I really appreciated. I know there are three other books in this series, but I am certain that I won't be reading those.

2. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Rating: ★★★★★ 5 stars (10 million stars)

A book of my heart and soul. If you follow me on Instagram you already know how much I am in love with this book. I have a full review here if want to know my complete thoughts. This novel is both beautiful and heartbreaking. A Little Life follows Jude St. Francis, the quietest and mysterious out of his three friends and catalogs their lives throughout college and mid-adulthood as Jude tries to come to terms with severe abuse he received as a child. This book is just so intricate and intimate. Hanya Yanagihara has such a way of manipulating words that make you feel deeply for Jude. At times it became very hard to read and many times I ended up having to put this book down. I can't recommend enough how phenomenal this book is, and if you take the time to consume it slowly, you'll enjoy it all the same.

3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 3.5 stars

Started The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in November, but finally completed it in December. This was required reading in my English class and I fairly enjoyed it. Recently I've been enjoying more of the classical literature that I am required to read in school. The Scarlet Letter centers around Hester Prynne who is ostracized by her Puritan village after they discover she committed adultery and is forced to wear an embroidered scarlet letter A on her chest. This novel surprised me immensely. I will admit that Hawthorne can become quite verbose in his writing, but once you root through all the extraneous words, the story is very easy to follow. I appreciated being able to discuss this class and go more in depth into it. Hester Prynne becomes almost a saint-like figure as she humbles herself and takes her punishment. If you have to read this for class I recommend reading it slowly or even reading the modern text No Fear version to help discern some of the tougher parts of the text.

4. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

Rating: ★★★★☆ 4 stars

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh is a retelling of the classic A Thousand and One Nights. This story follows Shahrzard who volunteers to be the wife of  Khalid, murderous boy-king who ends up killing his wife every night. Shahrzad volunteers in hopes of killing him in order to avenge her friend's death who was one of his victims. This story is languid and almost sensual and I really enjoyed Ahedieh's writing style, there was something atmospheric about the setting in the desert. Although I enjoyed this story for the most part I found it really disconcerting how it felt like the author was trying to absolve Khalid of his actions. That was the main reason why I did not love this novel, but I also wished the magical elements of this novel was explain more in depth because it came off as underdeveloped and halfhearted. I have a full review here if you want more of my thoughts.

5. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Rating: ★★★★★ 5 stars

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen was my last read of December. (I actually finished it on New Year's Eve) And this book flew to the top of my favorite books of 2015 list. I went into this novel with pretty high expectations and I am so glad that they were all met. The Queen of the Tearling is an unconventional fantasy story actually set in the future, with both medieval and modern aspects, and focuses on young queen Kelsea Raleigh, who upon turning nineteen must take up her family throne after so many years away from her kingdom. This novel had everything I wanted and then some. Kelsea isn't really a physically strong character, but she is wise and uses her brain. It shows how much she thinks situations through and actually cares for the well-being of her country, which she barely knows. For such a lengthy novel, the plot really flies through as Erika Johansen encapsulates you in this world. I am quite to get back to the second book, Invasion of the Tearling. My full thoughts can be found here.

Review: The Queen of The Tearling by Erika Johansen

Title: The Queen of the Tearling
Author: Erika Johansen
Publication Date: July 8th 2014
Publisher: Harper
Series: Book #1 in the The Queen of the Tearling trilogy

Rating5 stars

Synopsis: The young princess must claim her throne, learn to become a queen, and combat a malevolent sorceress in an epic battle between light and darkness in this spectacular debut—the first novel in a trilogy.

Young Kelsea Raleigh was raised in hiding after the death of her mother, Queen Elyssa, far from the intrigues of the royal Keep and in the care of two devoted servants who pledged their lives to protect her. Growing up in a cottage deep in the woods, Kelsea knows little of her kingdom's haunted past...or that its fate will soon rest in her hands.

“Here is Glynn Queen, here is Red Queen,

One to perish beyond recall,

The Lady moves, the Witch despairs,

Glynn Queen triumph and Red Queen fall.”

Still cannot stop buzzing about this book, in all of it's amazing glory.

Completely entranced in this world that Erika Johansen has created. The Queen of the Tearling is such an utterly unique fantasy/dystopian story. Reading a fantasy that takes place in the future, but has a setting of "medieval times" all while still having many of our common day advances such as contraceptives, was what really hooked me into this world. So much thought and effort went behind this story and it really shows through her writing.

I started off reading this story believing it was going to be another typical fantasy story only to soon find myself constantly flying through the pages, needing to know what happens next immediately. Kelsea Raleigh is evidently not the same girl at the beginning of the novel juxtaposed to the queen we see at the end. I can honestly say that she is one of my favorite queens that I have read about out of the many fantasy novels I've consumed. Kelsea is fearsome creature. In the outset of the novel we see her as just a plain, unassuming girl who doesn't even have the respect of the people protecting her, but she soon grows into a force to be reckoned with.

Not much I can say to justify my love and adoration for Kelsea besides the essential component that she is just a smart person. The way she is developed makes her into such a tangible person, someone I can relate too. I love that Erika Johansen made her "plain" and not the typical "strikingly beautiful" description. I love how she was a little "overweight". I love that she honestly isn't that great with a sword or weapons for that matter. It makes her honest and true against the slew of characters who sometimes harbor great fighting skills in such a small amount of time. Kelsea is just badass in her own way. If there's an issue, she'll put a stop to it, immediately. If there's a problem, she'll throw herself into it. She uses her head to think situations through. I appreciate the love and care she has for her kingdom which she barely even knows. Just so much love for this character.

“Only appearance, Lady, but appearance in a queen is important. For you to wield a sword, it’s . . . not queenly.”
“I can’t be queenly when I’m dead. And I’ve had to defend myself too often lately to be content with only my knife.”

So many other phenomenal characters that appear throughout this book. The way Johansen manipulates the 3rd person perspective on the various characters so you can know them more in depth is just stellar. I really grew to love side characters such as Pen, Mace, the Fetch, even Javel at times.

The Red Queen was such a fascinating antagonist to read about. We don't really get to see too much of her in this novel, but I'm all the more intrigued to read her chapters. She isn't your typical brooding villain (though she is quite insane and frankly terrifying) there's just something uniquely peculiar about her. I'm curious to know how did she become a witch, if she is in fact one. How is she able to stay alive all these year? I'm really hoping for more of her backstory in the next book. Even more so, I want to know how she became so magically powerful. And also how magic even ended up in these kingdoms.

One thing that really had me on board was the political aspect of it. The fate and problems of the kingdom was essentially the main focus of this book. Kelsea genuinely cares for the well-being of her people and wants to establish initiatives to not only feed and cloth them, but to give them education and teach them how to read. Even throughout all the disgruntlement and annoyance of others, Kelsea stays steadfast in her decisions to make things right and just.

I appreciated the camaraderie between Kelsea, Pen, and Mace. Each of their dynamics just go well and intermingle efficiently with each other. Though there is that Queen's Guard loyalty between them, I can also see that there is an honest friendship among them. Kelsea's general interactions between people are just so solid. Such as her conversations with Marguerite and Ahmaldie and how she begins to trust and appreciate them.

Even as one who loves romance in a complex plot, I'm glad that this book went without it (Well at least for now). This book shows how great a book can be even without romance. Kelsea's concerns for her kingdom and potential war, is essentially her prime focus.

The Queen of the Tearling was just a solid hit for me, and quickly became one of my favorites. There's so much intrigue, magic, and so many unknown variables for the remaining books to take us. Can't even contain myself to see what's in store in Invasion of the Tearling.