This is My Genre, Tell Me Yours! #booktag

Good night, lovely people! I was going to bother you all only tomorrow morning, but as Beth, from Betwixt The Pages, so kindly reminded me three times, she tagged me on the This is My Genre, Tell Me Yours! #booktag =D If you don’t know Beth yet, you totally need to #justsaying, so go check her own post and blog here, please! She rocks all the right books and jams ❤ Beth, once again, thank you for the tag!

• Credit Drew @ TheTattooedBookGeek as the creator of the tag, either use the created tag name graphic or create your own and link back to the blog;
• Answer the questions;
• Tag as many people as you want!

QUESTIONS

1. What’s your favourite genre?

I’d say romance, but that’s a lie. I could say historical romance, but that is also not right. The truth is I’m picky with both, so I’ll just stick with the universal truth: gay romance. If we’re talking about a good and sugared gay romance, then I’m in heaven.

2. Who’s your favourite author from the genre?

I hate when I have to choose among my children, but if for some monstrous reason I got stuck reading the same author forever and ever, it would be Ava March. She’s my goddess on earth and she knows it. Or at least she should, as I’ve been bothering her by messages on Goodreads and e-mails since I was 17 – I’m 22 today, so the math proves how much patience Ava has with me, haha! Seriously, ALL HER BOOKS ROCK. I should know, as I have read them all. #psychotic #Ilovetoohard #sorrynotsorry

3. What is it about the genre that keeps pulling you back?

This question actually needs to be answered in three parts, if you all don’t mind lol Dear Annelise, of course we mind! Do you think we don’t have anything better to do than to read your babbles?

Sorry, I’m still answering it on three parts, please bear with me ❤

Part I: Historical Romance

Since I was a child, I’m a sucker for historical romances, especially the ones set in London, 19^th century. At first, I only knew the heterosexual romance world – which I love dealy to this day – and what keeps pulling me back to it is to be able to see how you can find ways to rebel even when society is against you. To see how people behaved and how difficult everything was back then – can you imagine being hungry and not knowing how to turn on your own stove to bake yourself something? I honestly can’t and that’s why I keep coming back to this genre. I love to see how people were able to live and be happy with way less. How much simpler things were. If they had good toilets and tampons, I’d totally go back in time!

Part II: Gay Romance

I have such a fondness for LGBT love in general because I feel this is the last true social barrier for a relationship to actually work. If I’m reading contemporary romances and it is all about the couple getting together with some insecurity drama to it, I just don’t feel like reading it. I don’t see a valid problem, you know? But a LGBT couple has yet to deal with a lot of shit from society – many times, from their own homes. This sense of forbidden love makes me pin harder for them, in hopes that, one day, those labels won’t matter anyone and love can be truly free.

Part III: Historical Gay Romances

After Greeks and Romans turned into History [haha], pretty much all relationships posed challenges. The taboo levels varied according to the times, but no couple was safe – I hope you are seeing a pattern here, haha! On the 19^th century, people loved to think they were oh-so-civilized and modern, but relationships were still very complicated. Nobles and servants together? Nope. Peasants and nobles? Nope. Royalty and beggars? NOPE. Birth itself was a barrier and there were serious punishment for marrying off your social position. Now, imagine the taboo levels for two men in love with each other when they can barely choose the women to hold their hearts? I FAINTED.

4. What’s the book that started your love for your favourite genre?

I’ve been a book lover from the crib, with no particular trigger to my adoration. However, what truly awakened the gay romance lover in me wasn’t a book, but a manga series called Gravitation, by Maki Murakami. To be honest, it isn’t even that good, but I didn’t know it was a gay romance when I first bought it and started to read it. I was 13, I think, and totally ignored the big +18 on manga covers since I was 8, so you can imagine my face-fall as I reached volume 2 and the male protagonists had sex. I wish I could have a gif of that moment, it was priceless, haha! I already had a soft spot for beautiful bffs males, so the thing just naturally evolved and officially got out of control as I entered college and met J. L. Langley’s books. Life as I knew back then was over, hahaha!

5. If you had to recommend at least one book from your favourite genre to a non-reader/someone looking to start reading that genre, what book would you choose and why?

Actually, I have already been there with Jess, from the Mud and Stars! If you want to immerse yourselves on the wonders of historical gay romance, I must recommend you All In With The Duke, from the goddess Ava March! It’s simply the best historical romance of my life. I hope this is reasoning enough, but in case it isn’t… Here’s my review for it!

I miss my pretty Instagram pictures #justsaying

 

6. Why do you read?

Why do I breathe? Why do I eat? Why do I sleep? All those questions have the same answer: despite being highly enjoyable, I NEED TO DO IT, LMAO. Books are my safe heaven, the hobby I hop on when I’m tired, bored, happy, sad, excited, hopeful, in need of a hug… Books are my life. I actually own more books than clothes and shoes put together, haha! (Just to clarify: I’m only talking about physical books. Don’t even get me started on the digital shelves, haha!)

George R. R. Martin definitely rubbed on me, I can’t even make a tag post something short… Sorry, guys! For this one, I’ll tag…

Amanda, from the Cover2CoverMom

Jess, from the Mud and Stars

Because I’m really sure they are ok with tags, but anyone is welcome to do it! You can even say I tagged you on your post =D Jess and Amanda, please don’t feel obligated to do this if you don’t feel like it ❤

I guess that’s it, people! Hope you found this post where I just talk about my royal panda self all the time interesting ❤ What is your favorite genre?

With love,

Black Water Tales: The Unwanted, from JeanNicole Rivers (Black Water Tales #2)

(Alternative title: HOLLY F*, THE CREEPS. ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE! =OOOOOO)

Hello to you that decided it was a good time to seat and read a review! Or not sit, but happily scroll down through your phone. Oh, well. Welcome to you, no matter if you are seated, on your feet or laid down. My only piece of advice before cutting the crap and start talking about today’s book is: do not read this with the lights off. You know, safety matters and all. Thanks!

Without further ado, today I took the day to review a DELICIOUS book that I received from the author in exchange for an honest review: Black Water Tales: The Unwated, from JeanNicole Rivers! Technically, this is the second book in the series, but they are totally unrelated to each other, so I will just treat is as a standalone 🙂 Thanks so much for sending me your book, JeanNicole! I don’t have the words to describe what it meant to me! Actually I kind of do, as I am writing all about my feels for the book as we speak, but never mind that.

Blaire Baker is one of those people who is in a serious need to find a purpose in life. Which better way than to volunteer herself to teach special children at a poor orphanage in eastern Europe? St. Sebastian sounds like the perfect place to escape her problems and make herself useful, maybe even changing some lives for good. Paired up with Travis, a funny and easy-going nurse on the same mission as her, Blaire heads to Borslav to start her life.

She knew not to expect a nice looking place or even healthy children, but nothing prepared Blaire to the eerie creeps that St. Sebastian gave her. She also wasn’t prepared to deal with emotionless and stoic children that couldn’t care less what happened around them. Or even to hear so many whispers about the basement.

As if caring for those lost children wasn’t already a big deal, Blaire also started to be haunted by her own past. She would have to fight her own demons before trying to dig up the mysteries around the night noises and voices of St. Sebastian.

The only question is… Will she survive long enough for that?

Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂

DEAR HEAVENS, WHERE DO I BEGIN?! This book scared me on a whole new level. I admit not being an avid reader of terror books so far in my life, but NOT A SINGLE BOOK THAT CAME BEFORE THIS ONE WRACKED ME SO HARD! Nearing the end, I would shiver in broad daylight, with the sun on my back and many people around me, feeling utterly alone in the world. As I finished it on a very crowded subway station, I kept looking over my shoulder, being sure that ~something~ was watching for me, if you know what I mean. I only avoided a panic attack because I managed to run home and burn my energy. And when I say run, I mean it. I must have looked absolutely crazy, because I only stopped to cross streets and to enter my building… Oh well, it happens to the best of us. For all those sensations, that are priceless on their own twisted way, A MILLION STARTS FOR THIS BOOK!

The narrative had to be my favorite style: third person with switching points of view between Blaire and Travis. As both them are oblivious to the things that really happen at the orphanage, the narrative choice fit as a glove. Even when one of them discovered something else, we all kept in the dark (quite literally) about what was real and what was paranoid delusion. In the end of the book, I truly didn’t know any more if things were actually happening of if it was a glitch from one of their minds. Rivers plays with your mind that hard.

The plot was all kinds of brilliant. I admit that the story starts off a little slow with Blaire going to Borslav with Travis, but as soon as they step on St. Sebastian for the first time, you are doomed. It’s a mix of morbid curiosity with pure agony that makes you go on. You want to see these poor children winning in life after so many problems. I have to also admit that I was actually cool in the scary side while I thought things were supernatural. While I thought that ghosts were behind the bad things and that was a simple matter of calling Sam and Dean, you know?

I thought it would be the case of involving the Impala brothers 😛

 

However, Rivers played me like a puppet and laughed (metaphorically) at my face. No Sam and Dean were required and just like that my biggest fears came alive: REAL PEOPLE DOING NASTY THINGS. This is what truly scared the shit out of me and Rivers had me at my fear of real people. Well played, Rivers. Well played indeed.

Ok, focus. Now we have characters. Oh, the characters. I was soooo in love with Blaire and Travis once that I got to know them! What I really liked about this book is that the author didn’t push the romance – no, it’s all about the mystery and remaining true to yourself. Despite some facts, it would have been really easy to turn Travis and Blaire into a couple and I am so proud of Rivers for not falling into that trap ❤ From the bottom of my heart: THANK YOU!

What I really love about Black Water Tales: The Unwanted is that every character has a shady edge, even the children and St. Sebastian building. By the way, the building pulses with life, which is so freaking odd and creepy. I love decadent places, but I doubt I would have the courage to enter St. Sebastian.

The only complaint that I have is that I ended the book without many vital details. I felt more tying up right before the end and I doubt that the next instalment of this series will also be in Borslav, so it is a bit disappointing. I only overlooked this on my rating because all the rest is SO FREAKING AMAZING that I could deal with some plot holes, haha!

I think I have already went on too much today, so let me just wrap things up by saying that if you love mystery and terror, you simply have to read this book asap. After that, message me for us to fangirl about it together, please! =D

Thanks for reading another unnecessary long and fangirling review, you rock if you reached the bottom of my post! Also, another round of thank-yous for JeanNicole herself for being incredible in both writing this masterpiece and sending it my way ❤ ❤ I loved this experience! But of course you couldn’t tell by this review. #sarcasm

Love you all and see you again any other time,

The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror, from Joyce Carol Oates

(Alternative title: the book that made me so hot to read it that burned me when I did)

Hi, there, lovelies! Slowly and steadily, I’m putting some order on my missing reviews 🙂 I’m almost done with the sent books, so I’ll start the asked ones, haha! Today I’ll be talking about a book I received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review: The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror, from Joyce Carol Oates. While I thank the publisher to the infinity and beyond for approving my review request, I must say that this book wasn’t my kind of terror 😦

For that reason, I won’t be long on my review, as I still think many people out there will love it despite my feelings towards this book 🙂

From one of our most important contemporary writers, The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror is a bold, haunting collection of six stories.

In the title story, a young boy becomes obsessed with his cousin’s doll after she tragically passes away from leukemia. As he grows older, he begins to collect “found dolls” from the surrounding neighborhoods and stores his treasures in the abandoned carriage house on his family’s estate. But just what kind of dolls are they?

In “Gun Accident,” a teenage girl is thrilled when her favorite teacher asks her to house-sit, even on short notice. But when an intruder forces his way into the house while the girl is there, the fate of more than one life is changed forever.

In “Equatorial,” set in the exotic Galapagos, an affluent American wife experiences disorienting assaults upon her sense of who her charismatic husband really is, and what his plans may be for her.

In The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror, Joyce Carol Oates evokes the “fascination of the abomination” that is at the core of the most profound, the most unsettling, and the most memorable of dark mystery fiction.

Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂

This book wasn’t for me. I like my terror more terrifying. I enjoyed the first story, but I had it all figured out in the middle. The other stories were just boring for me and I feel awful for that. The writing style was tiresome, the mystery was too obvious and the terror itself didn’t built up on my head I was the most wrong target, haha! So, two stars.

What I liked: the first story. I loved the concept and even after understanding it all, it gave me the creeps to keep going. I have a thing for dolls, especially porcelain dolls. I know several people are afraid of them, but I love them to the core – I have four myself, gifts from my grandma ❤

That’s my reaction EVERY TIME I see pretty vintage dolls, be it porcelain or not, haha!

Anyway, I don’t really want to bitch about this book. All I will say is that I was too excited to read the book and got disappointed. If you like light terror, soft mystery, creepy things and don’t open this book with high expectations, you’ll love it 🙂

That’s it! Thanks for reading this review and I honestly hope more people can love this book to compensate my lack of love 🙂

Love you all and see you around,

Maisy and the Missing Mice, from Elizabeth Woodrum (The Maisy Files #1)

Hello, again! So, I decided to try to review a book per day until I catch up with myself. Of course I can’t promise anything, but trying is important, right? 🙂

I’d like to talk today about a lovely middle grade mystery that I received from Lola Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review: Maisy and the Missing Mice, the first one in The Maisy Files series, from Elizabeth Woodrum 😀 Thanks so much for my review copy! Let’s do this 🙂

*Oh, I’d like to take a moment to explain why I have a lack of bookish pictures on my reviews lately: I haven’t got a second alone with my iPad to take nice pictures. My parents are always using it, 24/7, and now that I’m back to work I don’t have a single moment of the day in which I have the damn tablet all for myself, haha! I’ll try to take some decent and pretty pictures this week before they get home 🙂

Maisy Sawyer has two passions on her life: mysteries and cherry lollipops. Even being only a fourth grade student, she is considered her school’s professional detective and always helps people solving their mysteries… In exchange for cherry lollipops, of course!

At first, the robbery of the school’s mice seemed just another regular mystery on Maisy’s schedule. But it all became personal when the thief, The Black Boot, decided to also steal Maisy’s cherry lollipops collection. That just went too far.

Now it’s not only a matter of helping the school getting their mascots back. The Black Boot went too far and made it personal. And Maisy Sawyer never left a mystery unsolved.

Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂

This book was insanely cute. It was so refreshing to read a so well-written children’s book! ❤ I won’t lie, the mystery is really obvious, but I can really see middle grade students grabbing this book and reading it in one sitting (like I did) to find out who stole the mice and Maisy’s lollipops, haha! (like I did, because I needed to know if I was right, haha!) I had some small problems with Maisy’s behavior – she did things too right sometimes, to the point that it became unnatural for a kid on her age to have that level of awareness of her surroundings – but overall, it was a delightful read. Four stars ❤

The narrative is third person from Maisy’s point of view, which really works for the suspense of the mystery. I liked Maisy, she was a very cute kid and has a great future as a detective 🙂 Woodrum’s writing style was fluid and simple, but sometimes it felt too simple. For example, she would always use “but” instead of mixing it with “however” or any other synonyms and while I understand this is a middle grade book, a child can feel how repetitive it gets. I talk from experience, as I’ve been an assiduous reader since I learned how to do it, with the age of seven – ironically, I was the last child on my classroom to learn how to read, haha! But after I got the hang of it, I never stopped, oops!

The plot was good and well executed. The mystery wasn’t that complex – it is a middle grade book, after all – but I liked that the author didn’t make it too easy too. I think a child can solve it too, but nothing is outrageously obvious 🙂 I was highly satisfied with all the technical aspects of Maisy and the Missing Mice!

Now, let’s talk about characters. While I really appreciate that Woodrum didn’t treat Maisy as a naïve and vulnerable child just because she is young, there were times in which Maisy’s maturity was beyond forced. I get that she tried to “teach” children what they should do, but it’s from the young nature to be impulsive and reckless. I was a mature child myself and even so, I did impulsive and reckless things all the time and my mom would end up fighting with me. My point is, I missed a little this natural aspect of a child in Maisy.

On the other hand, there is this scene in which Maisy’s classroom is leaving for their break and Maisy sees some children with their coats on and suddenly decides she wants her coat too. While I think this is perfectly normal behavior among children, it felt forced on Maisy, because she was so decided and couldn’t care less for what her colleagues and friends thought. Contradictory much?

Anyway, even with those small problems, I still loved Maisy and the other characters. They were overall very real and relatable, as we saw little habits that make people who they are 🙂 Veronica, her best friend, was lovely ❤

Overall, if you like a good mystery for children or is looking for a good middle grade book – who knows? – you totally should give Maisy and the Missing Mice a try 😀

Thanks so much for reading my review ❤ Also, thanks again to Lola’s Blog Tours for sending me my review copy!

Top 10 Tuesday: Books that made me cry

Hi, there! Good AFTERNOON! I DID IT, IT IS ON TIME AND EARLIER! I DESERVE A BIG HIGH FIVE!

Ahem.

It’s Tuesday, so it’s Top 10 Tuesday day! This meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and my theme today is Books that Made me Cry because I can’t seem to follow everyone else and do the right theme of the week lol

So, I’d like to start this post by saying that I usually don’t cry reading. No, I haven’t got an heart of ice or anything like that. I just purposefully avoid reading books that I’m sure that will leave me utterly miserable and struggling to keep breathing between my sobs.

You see, when I was 14, I had a severe case of depression due family problems. One of the things that helped me going back on track and learning how to cope with my mind was reading – a pastime that has accompanied me since my birth, may I add. Ever since, I started to avoid obviously sad books like The Fault on Our Stars and such. It’s nothing personal, it is just one of the things I had to do to keep myself sane at the time and it is a habit that stuck up. I can deal with some depressing parts in a book, sad moments and deaths. But downward tragedy all the time hits too close to home, so no, thanks 🙂

All that being said, I still cry in books, a lot! And not only tears of sorrow, so I divided by ten books by type of crying – because I’m that much of an organizer freak 🙂

Sad tears

 1) The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

This was the only purposeful sad book that I read knowing that it may end badly and I don’t regret it. I read it on 2007, when I was 12 or 13, and it was a recommendation of a sales’ guy from one of my favorite bookstores at the time, so I loved it. I don’t see myself re-reading it, though.

 2) The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson #5)

You know, the series was ending, one of the most awesome characters died and I was feeling too overwhelmed by all the twists and awesomeness. And I still didn’t know that The Lost Hero was a kind of sequel to Percy Jackson series lol

 3) Daughter of Darkness, by L. J. Smith (Nightworld #2) [REVIEW HERE!]

Again, the fault is on the twist in the end. There isn’t anything downward sad about this book, but I thought the choice of the protagonists so tragic, brave and beautiful that it got me tearing up a bit for their destiny. Again, no deaths, no tragedy. I JUST FELT LIKE CRYING, I’M A REBEL!

Agony tears

Since I watched Into The Woods, I was DYING to use this gif, haha!

4) All In With The Duke, by Ava March (Gambling On Love #1) [REVIEW HERE!]

Yes, you have read it correctly. My diva, my muse, made me cry. I just couldn’t see a happy ending for Max and Tristan in the first time that I read this book and I WAS DYING. Sometimes, I still cry near the end, haha!

5) Cambridge Fellows series, by Charlie Cochrane

Honestly? I don’t even know why I kept reading this series for so long. Despite being an historical gay romance series, the writing style wasn’t my cup of tea, the characters were pretty shallow and the drama got heavier and heavier. I lost count of how many times I was reading this as I was on my way to college and I started to weep in pure agony for the main couple. I just wanted to grab Charlie by her shoulders and shake her until she came back to her senses and stopped that madness, haha!

Frustration tears

Fun fact about me: when I’m very sad, I grow quiet and simply won’t speak or do anything. I become numb. When I’m angry or frustrated to hell, I cry like there is no tomorrow. Therefore, these next books got more tears than the sad books did, haha!

 6) What Lies Within, by James Morrison [REVIEW HERE!]

I really liked this book, but I was so overwhelmed when I got to the end and there were some mysterious lose ends that I broke. I started crying and screaming and swearing, haha! After a calming shower, I couldn’t stop saying to whoever wanted to hear how good and awesome and badass this book is, haha! Strong emotions lol

7) The Heir, by Kiera Cass (The Selection #4) [REVIEW HERE!]

I almost began crying in frustration in the middle of chapter one, when I realized how Eadlyn and I wouldn’t get along. AT. ALL. And yet, Kiera Cass was forcing me to put up with the brat using my love for The Selection and for America as an excuse. Eadlyn drove me so mad that there were a lot of scenes that I read while tearing up in pure and simple frustration. I can’t wait for the nightmare to be over in The Crown…

Beauty tears

8) Chasing Rainbows, by Linda Oaks (The Chasing Series #1) [REVIEW HERE!]

This book was Linda’s debut and my first from her. I was so surprised to see her beautiful writing style, so impressed to see how much Linda seemed to understand me and how much I connected with Addie, the main character, that I found myself emotional in like 60% of my reading time. I took notes of quotes and felt tears down my cheeks. Super cheesy and super true. Just read this book – or any of Linda’s works, really – and you will understand.

9) After Death, by Jacqueline E. Smith (Cemetery Tours #3) [REVIEW HERE!]

Jacqueline’s writing is a piece of art by itself, but there was a scene near the end of this book that was my undoing. It was so emotional, beautiful and meaningful that I started crying and wouldn’t stop, haha! I just wanted to hug my iPad and never let go 🙂

Last, but not least…

PERFECTION TEARS

I searched my brain aka my goodreads read shelf for another case of perfection tears, but I think it only happened once so far.

And the Oscar goes to…

10) CARRY ON, by Rainbow Rowell! [REVIEW HERE!]

This was the first and only time that I cried because of over perfection. And I’ve read my fair of books for someone of only 21. I scared my best friend, her maid and her mom with my crying crisis and book hangover after Carry On was over. I simply couldn’t, I needed more, that was too perfect to end. AND I SWEAR THAT THE END IS SWEET AND HAPPY AND CUTE! I’m the weird one that cries over… Perfection, as it seems.

I know, I know. That’s why I’ll just thank you for reading and stop writing now, haha!

Do you also categorize your types of crying over books? 🙂

BLOG TOUR: Nobody’s Lady, by Amy McNulty (Never Veil #2)

Hello, there! Welcome to another blog tour hosted by Chapter by Chapter! We’re here today gathered to cherish the release of the second volume of the Never Veil series, from Amy McNulty: Nobody’s Lady! 😀

Chapter by Chapter kindly sent me a review copy for both books in exchange for an honest review and I’m very thankful ❤

(Goodreads’ Blurb)

For the first time in a thousand years, the men in Noll’s village possess the freedom to love whom they will. In order to give each man the chance to fully explore his feelings, the lord of the village decrees all marriages null and void until both spouses declare their love for one another and their desire to wed again. What many women think will be a simple matter becomes a source of village-wide tension as most men decide to leave their families and responsibilities behind.

Rejected by the lord and ashamed of her part in the village’s history, Noll withdraws from her family and lives life as an independent woodcarver. This changes when her sister accuses her of hiding her former husband Jurij from her—and when Jurij eventually does ask to move in. Determined not to make the same mistakes, Noll decides to support her male friends through their new emotional experiences, but she’s soon caught up in a darker plot than she ever dared imagine possible from the men she thought she knew so well. And the lord for whom she still has feelings may be hiding the most frightening truth of them all.

Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as reader 🙂

The Never Veil series left me speechless! I really don’t even know what to say :O Everything was so new for me, so awesome, so everything! I flew off through the series and almost bit all my nails, as there were many moments in that I honestly didn’t know what to think, but in a positive way. This book is not a suspense one by any means, but I got swept off my feet so hard and I didn’t see it coming!

this is what this series did to me lol

This was one of the best fantasy books that I’ve read in quite a while and I decided I need to read it once again for my mind to grasp everything and understand everything. Lucky me that the next volume in the series is in the way, so I have time to sit with this series and start again, haha! For now, I’ll leave Nobody’s Lady with four proud stars 🙂

Once again we accompany Noll’s in her journey, this time trying to help her male friends to adjust to their new reality. I still can’t believe in everything that has happened until now, haha! wow!

The narrative is first person styled form Noll’s point of view, of course, and since the first page we can see how she grew up since Nobody’s Goddess. It’s amazing how aware she has become of her own mistakes and flaws and I still don’t know how to deal with that end, OMG! There were times in that I wasn’t sure about what I felt for Noll – whether if I liked her or not – during the whole series, but I can safely say that I don’t hate her – and that’s a start 🙂 I usually hate female protagonists that are the narrators of their own stories in YA books, haha!

Also, can we take a moment to just appreciate McNulty’s writing style? It is SO GOOD! It gives you all the feelings!

Sorry, I simply adore this Crowley gif, haha! It’s so real!

The plot hit me in the face and laughed of my naivety, haha!

I definitely should have seen so many things coming and I didn’t! Ugh. But the surprise was very welcome. As much as I don’t mind predictable books, it’s still good to be left in the dark here and there 🙂

The characters are the place in which the star got lost, actually. I don’t know, I was highly interested in what was going to happen next, but I didn’t much care about anyone in particular – not even for Noll. Maybe I’m on a detached period (it happens and it’s weird), and that’s another reason for my eagerness on re-reading this series. How can I find a story so awesome and not fall for a single character?! Absurd.

Overall, I recommend this series for anyone that loves fantasy and Young Adult books. You guys will have a run for your money with Nobody’s Lady and Nobody’s Goddess!

Thanks so much for reading my review! Bellow, you can find information on where to find both books in the Never Veil series, more about Amy McNulty and a lovely giveaway 😀

You can find Nobody’s Lady in both ebook and paperback formats 😀

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | TBD | iBooks

And, of course, Nobody’s Goddess is also available in ebook and paperback formats 😀

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Amy McNulty is a freelance writer and editor from Wisconsin with an honors degree in English. She was first published in a national scholarly journal (The Concord Review) while in high school and currently writes professionally about everything from business marketing to anime. In her down time, you can find her crafting stories with dastardly villains and antiheroes set in fantastical medieval settings.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads

Five lucky INTERNATIONAL winners will receive a digital copy of Nobody’s Lady!

Don’t miss this marvelous opportunity! To enter, just click here and good luck: GIVEAWAY!

Thanks so much for reading and thanks again to Chapter by Chapter for providing me a spot on this lovely tour and my review copies!

TBR of the Week: Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices #1)

Hello, there! I don’t know what’s happening with me lately, I don’t seem to be able to put up a post on Saturdays! Ugh, so frustrating! Anyway, hope you’re enjoying your Sunday (it’s already middle afternoon over here) and it’s time to talk about the chosen one for TBR of the Week: Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare!

BOOK BLITZ: The Glass Coffin, by Kelly Martin (A Shattered Fairy Tale #3)

Hi, there! Welcome to the other bookish news post, haha! This one, courtesy of Love Affair With Fiction, is a book blitz to celebrate The Glass Goffin‘s release! It’s the third book in the A Shattered Fairy Tale series, from Kelly Martin! ❤

The Glass Coffin
Kelly Martin
A Shattered Fairy Tale #3
Genre: Regency, Romance, Fairy Tale
Publisher: Blue Tulip Publishing

Gertrude “Trudy” Dodsworth wants nothing more than to be with the love of her life, William Haddington, Earl of Waverly. Her father, the evil “sin collector” Frederick Dodsworth, forbids the union and sends Trudy and her mother far away to a town called Everdale. While there, Trudy catches the eye of the roguishly handsome and very controlling, Lawson Stockwell–also an earl. He asks for her hand in marriage. Trudy reluctantly agrees for the sake of her mother who has fallen suddenly ill.

William Haddington has hit a new low. Once thought of as a virtuous man, William has fallen from grace. Laden heavy with guilt, he trudges through life carrying the burden that is his to bear. He set the fire that disfigured Nicholas Wellington, The Beast of Ravenston. William goes to Everdale to start over, become himself again, try to move on, but when he sees the love of his life, Trudy, arm in arm with another man, he falls back into the bottle.

When the “gifts” begin appearing on his doorstep, William has no doubt they are from Lord Ravenston, who is known to get revenge on those who hurt him.

With time running out and his love for Trudy tearing him apart, William must decide if he will give into his feelings for her or force her to hate him forever.

Because The Beast is coming to Everdale.

And he’s coming to make William suffer.

Based on Sleeping Beauty.

I recently read a lovely Sleeping Beauty inspired book [Slumber, review here!], so I had to check this one out too, haha! I don’t know if I ever commented it in here, but Aurora is one of my favorite princesses ever. I mean, her life is so goals. You have tons of problems and all you have to do to solve your life out IS TO TAKE A NAP!

Anyway, you can already find The Glass Coffin on our usual book buying places 🙂

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA

B&N | iBooks | Kobo

And yes, we have an excerpt! ❤

Only stalkers and men of ill-repute watched women from behind street corners and lampposts and carriages. William felt like both, but he could not keep her out of his sight.

He’d only just arrived in Everdale an hour before, and, to his surprise, he saw her immediately, Trudy, not fifteen paces away. He should have talked to her. Instead, he’d hidden.

William was a coward. He felt like a coward. He did cowardly things out of fear. Fear, his biggest weakness.

Fear made men do strange and peculiar things.

Fear made men travel hundreds of miles away from home to stay alive. Fear made men drink more than they should to forget the past — though William hadn’t drank in over five days, since he’d first left Darenset. And he felt it too. Every bit of him begged for a drink, only one, to take the edge off. Only one to chase the nightmares away.

Without the alcohol, William dreamed. In his dreams, he remembered everything. The fire. Lord Ravenston’s face. Losing Trudy. Blackmail by Mr. Dodsworth — a man even more evil than himself. Mr. Dodsworth was a ‘sin collector’, a man who collected the misdeeds of both the titled and commoners and used them against anyone he wished when the time suited him. Though William knew he shouldn’t judge. He had no way of being saved. What he’d done… He would never be forgiven. He didn’t deserve it.

He hadn’t meant to set the fire. No, that was a lie. He’d meant exactly to set the fire. Revenge and all. He’d just never meant for anyone to get hurt.

The fact that someone had, Nicholas Wellington — the Beast — well, it was fitting. William knew he’d never be forgiven. Not for the fire or what he’d done to his best friend, Vaughan, Earl of Brighton.

But, even with all that, even with the fact that he knew he’d spend his eternity in hell, William made the conscious decision to not drink — to try, try, to do good. He might never, in his mind, make it to the Pearly Gates, but he would do his damnedest to never hurt another living soul.

He never should have chosen Everdale; he knew that now. Not after he saw her. He should have hopped right back on the first carriage out of town and headed… somewhere. Anywhere. This was supposed to be a place to start over, refresh, and move on.

How could he move on with her beautiful face taunting him?

So, he crouched behind carriages and behind corners, watching, waiting, and gawking.

The first time his gaze had slid passed her, he hadn’t recognized her.

Gertrude — Trudy — Dodsworth had become more of a lady since that fateful night six months ago. Her long red hair that had always lain in unruly curls, the tresses he wanted so much to run his fingers through, to pull her toward him and take her lips on his, was piled atop her head like all the proper ladies. William understood pomp and circumstance. He understood the ways of the world, more than most. However, he missed seeing those wild locks. The girl who, though wealthy and well-brought-up, always had a wildness about her. But not around her father. No, she was too smart for that. Frederick Dodsworth would have scared the devil. He sure as hell scared William.

Around her father, Trudy was the perfect lady. Around William, it was completely different.

In Darenset, their encounters had come about unintentionally at first. They’d run into each other, literally, as he rounded a street corner on the way to Vaughan’s residence, and she’d come bounding around the other direction. She’d ended up on her bottom. William had wound up red-faced and apologetic.

Then, the most wonderful thing had happened.

She’d laughed.

A proper young lady, laughed at him — not at him. Not like he’d done something wrong, but a light-hearted chuckle. People around them had stopped and stared, but the girl hadn’t seemed to mind. She’d taken William’s extended hand, and he’d pulled her upright.

He’d found out later that she’d escaped her chaperone because she’d only wanted a few minutes to herself. Her father wouldn’t allow it. Trudy had always assumed he’d been afraid someone would hurt her. William figured it was because he had to control every single situation. Even his daughter.

Especially his daughter.

Time went on, and they continued to run into each other. William found that he looked forward to those meetings most in the world. Not the ones with the important folks that he had to attend. No, he daydreamed about Trudy, about pulling her into his arms, about things he knew he should not even consider.

Then came her ball, her coming-out party. And William had never felt more alive… and more scared. He’d known it meant that she’d start courting. Other men would be able to meet her, unless he asked her father for her hand. William had a title, a good title, anybody — well, most people — would love their daughter to marry above her station.

Not Mr. Dodsworth.

The answer had sullied William’s spirit, and he’d done something he never in his life imagined he’d do; he had set a blaze to Dodsworth’s textile factory.

He’d stood there and watched it burn.

Then he’d heard the screams.

Seriously.

I need this book, haha! And I thought that you might enjoy meeting the other previous two books in the series 😀

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA

B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Smashwords

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Smashwords

And sorry, but I really love the pretty book quotes and promos with beautiful pictures ❤

Anyway, fetiches aside, bellow you can read more about the author, Kelly Martin!

Kelly Martin writes paranormal, contemporary, historical, and YA fiction. She has been married for over ten years and has three rowdy, angelic daughters. When she’s not writing, she loves taking picture of abandoned houses, watching horror gamers on YouTube– even though she’s a huge wimp– and drinking decaf white chocolate mochas. She’s a total fangirl, loves the 80s and 90s, and has a sad addiction to paranormal TV shows. {Basically, she likes creepy stuff.} Her favorite characters are the very flawed ‘good guys’–and ‘bad guys’ who don’t know they are evil. She loves giving her readers books with unexpected twists and turns, but (here’s a hint) most of her books have the ending spelled out in the first chapter. See if you can figure it out.

If you ever have a question or comment, feel free to email her at kellymartin215 @ yahoo . com ♥ You can follow her writing adventure at http://www.kellymartinbooks.blogspot.com

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• One lucky winner will take home a $10 Amazon Gift Card! (INTERNATIONAL)

To join me on this giveaway, just click the Rafflecopter link bellow 🙂

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That’s it, thanks for reading! And thanks once again to Love Affair With Fiction! Now I’ll get dressed and pray that I won’t trip on my own feet at the graduation ceremony…

Carry On, from Rainbow Rowell

Hello, my dears. Today I’m finally talking about Carry On, from Rainbow Rowell. I know this review is so late, but honestly, it will be one of the most difficult ones that I have ever wrote. Brace yourselves and tighten your seatbelts. Let the emotional rollercoaster begin.

from my Instagram

The Story

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One of the entire history of Chosen Ones. Wizard with awesome powers? Check. Ass kick fighting techniques? Check. Decent looks? Check. Total control over his actions, words and powers? Not at all. And his problems ironically only increase when his arch-enemy (and roommate) Baz doesn’t show up at Watford after the Summer break. Why can’t Baz just end his suffering by coming back to their freaking last year at school?

Baz is the worst vampire of the entire history of vampires. Blood thirst? Check. Handsome as hell? Check. Intelligent and high-cultured? Check. Big bag fangs? Check. Total knowledge about his powers, nature and destiny? Not at all. And sharing the room with his arch-enemy Simon Snow only increases his problems, as Baz can’t take his thoughts of Simon. Why couldn’t Simon just shut up and kiss him already?

Heated feelings, old grudges, first loves and magic. So much magic. That’s Carry On.

The Analysis

Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂

This book.

If you follow me for a while, you may know that I have been on Jen’s place at my hometown and that I finished Carry On in the beginning of last week. You even may know how much I freaked out about Gifted Thief (and I still do, Honour Bound is my next read after The Dark Cycle series!). But nothing prepared me for what Carry On was really about. Since I’ve read Fangirl, I was dreaming of reading Carry On, to be a part of Simon and Baz’s world. I make no secret of how much I enjoy gay romances and Carry On had everything to be the most perfect book ever.

And it was.

And I think I’ll never recover from its perfection.

I seriously can’t remember when was the last time that a book grabbed my heart and squeezed so hard that I couldn’t even breath without it on my hands (okay, I’m lying, it was on 2013 when Ava sent me an ARC of All In With The Duke and I almost died). I actually hugged Carry On every time I got to read it.

I never wanted to let it go after finishing.

I’m so sorry this review is being overly melodramatic, but I was a mess. I couldn’t believe that I had reached the end and that this was such a perfect book. It was my first time crying over a perfect and happy end and I scared the hell out of my friends and family, to the point that my dad had to say that I would meet other books that would make me fall in love again. My rating? Infinite stars.

Okay, five because Goodreads won’t allow me to rate any higher.

The narrative style is first person with switching points of view. Seriously, almost every relevant character gets their time at narrating and you could always tell who was speaking even without Rowell’s labels – yes, there are labels, don’t worry. Needless to say that my favorite narrators were Simon and Baz, right? Hahaha. Other nice thing is that Rowell would do a chapter with some lines, then switch narrators in the middle of the chapter just to write one sentence or simply throw pieces of points of view from random characters that we would understand only at the end of the book. I’m not the biggest fan of first person narrated books, but this is how you KICK ASS doing it. I didn’t care at all for Agatha and I still had not a single problem reading her parts. Seriously. This is perfection.

Okay, I’m okay. Moving on.

The plot was awesome. Simple and involving, with the right amount of romance, mystery, magic, friendship and drama. I missed more adventurous moves on Baz’s part regarding Simon and the fact that they shared a room at Baz’s manor, but I’ll survive. This is one of that boring kinds of review, in which you are so besotted with the book that you just can’t see its flaws.

Okay, I see them. There are many loose ends. Seriously. Not for the reader, but for the characters. We discover things, they don’t. As I’m a really selfish person (?), I’m okay with the characters not knowing it all if I do, so I’m cool with it. Hm, maybe that’s the problem. I fell so hard in love with Carry On that I love even its flaws.

Now the characters. As I may have already said on Fangirl’s review, Rowell’s characters are all girls and boys next door. Even if they are heroes, vampires, ghosts or anything else. I saw myself in Penny, Baz, Simon and even a little on Agatha, who I still don’t care about. This is witchcraft, Rowell. How do you make me like even the characters that I hate? Hahaha

I guess what pleased me the most were Baz and Simon’s flaws, to be honest. They made them too real. I remember when we fell too deep to feel, I remember when the real became too real, I remember when it hurt too much to heal and everything.

Hilary Duff feelings, yes.

I don’t think I have anything really useful to say beyond this. They are real people living a romance and I was a crazy fangirl all the while. I’m sorry, I know I’m being really lame and lengthy on this review.

I saw many people complain about how Carry On was overly inspired on Harry Potter, among other young adult books, but this also didn’t bother me. I actually smiled every time I got a reference in the air. I felt like Rowell was writing Carry On just for me and those were our secrets, you know? And that was one of the stupidest things that I have ever admitted. Along with my hugging book habits above.

The strongest point on Carry On is its feelings. It’s all too real, too beautiful. I seriously have not enough words to describe everything that I felt reading it, just that I was thrown on a rollercoaster and ended it hopelessly lovesick.

Bonus point: the book’s illustrations to divide the story in parts. So cute.

Now, I’d like to share some of my favorite quotes from the book with you. And sorry if you’re my friend on Goodreads, I may have liked a million Carry On quotes today while doing this review.

Simon

“He’s looking at me as like I’m a complete freak. (Which we both already knew it was true.)”

Baz

“It’s 6A.M. and he’s [Simon] already banging around our room like a cow who accidentally wandered up here.”

“(Because I’m disturbed. Ask anyone.)”

“I’m thinking violent thoughts at you constantly.”

And this dialogue:

“What you are is a fucking tragedy, Simon Snow. You literally couldn’t be a bigger mess.”

He tries to kiss me, but I pull back- “And you like that?”

“I love it.” He says.

“Why?”

“Because we match.”

I don’t think I can endure another book hangover this strong ever again.

Thank you for humoring me this far and enduring my interior and very depressed fangirl. I’m pinning badly for another Simon & Baz romance. Also, a special thank you to Jess, of the Mud and Stars, for not blocking me on Twitter after I finished Carry On; to Jenny and her mom, who had to endure a very crying me for at least two days; to Mandy, from The Reading Diaries, that had to hear me whining over this book hangover; to Lindsey from @thepagemistress, that is always there for me; and to my dad, that reminded me that I can always meet another book that will sweep me off my feet.

 

 

Ps: I also would like to share this moment of my life:

Sword Art Online: Fairy Dance, from Reki Kawahara and Tsubasa Haduki

Hi, there! You will never believe this: today’s manga review is NOT a yaoi one! I repeat, this is not a gay manga review!

I know, it is so exciting, right?!

Eh, no, not really, as I really didn’t like today’s title. I’m talking about Sword Art Online – Fairy Dance, from Reki Kawahara and Tsubasa Haduki.

from my Instagram 🙂

Goodreads’ Blurb

Kazuto Kirigaya (aka Kirito) has survived the death game of Aincrad masterminded by Akihiko Kayaba, programmer of Sword Art Online, and made it back to the real world. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Asuna Yuuki (aka Asuna the Flash), the girl Kirito fell in love with in the game world and who has yet to awaken from her seemingly endless slumber. As his sister, Suguha, sadly looks on, Kazuto continues to visit Asuna in the hospital in the hope of finding answers… But one day, the answers suddenly find him in the form of a man who claims to be Asuna’s fiancé?! With him, the man brings an in-game screenshot of someone who looks a lot like Asuna being held captive! Now Kirito must dive into an all-new VRMMORPG, ALfheim Online, to bring Asuna home!

The Analysis

Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂

I felt like I was the only person in the world that didn’t know what Sword Art Online (SAO) was, as I blindly bought this volume and read to only later find out how famous this series is. And honestly? I don’t understand why. I had my fair share of manga titles in my life (just take a look at my goodreads list) and I don’t see anything new, exciting or even worth reading on this series. Don’t get me wrong, the art is pleasant and the story will keep you busy until the end of the volume, but that’s it. Nothing memorable, so much fan service (when the characters show a lot their bodies, specially the female ones, and the title is packed with clichés), and a kind of stupid plot. Sorry, but this title wasn’t for me, I’ve seen too much to be impressed. However, it did kept me interested until the end of volume one, so two stars. And I won’t be finishing this series.

I don’t believe on bad mouthing a book or manga (or anything at all) just because I don’t like it, as all of us have a distinct opinion, so I’ll keep my review short and sweet 🙂

The narrative pace is fast, as this series is like a season two for the original SAO series. This doesn’t impact on the reader’s understanding of happenings, which is good. This was my first attempt at reading SAO and worked out almost just fine. We have shared points of view during the volume, shared by Kirito, Asuna and Suguha.

The plot is simple and with a mysterious air, as we don’t know exactly how Asuna’s fiancé plans on conquer the world. Just as many titles before it, SAO is a partial dystopian title, as the world that we know has reached such a level of technology that the online games immerse their players on the virtual world with the help of a helmet and their brains believe that all of they are living inside the game is real. It is nice, but not new. The majority of the series goes on the game SAO’s world (the game names the manga series) and the scenarios are cool, just like the designs of the characters.

I was bored to my bones to see that every character, without exceptions, was a typically archetype of shoujo (a.k.a. sugaed romance) mangas. There is the hero, the heroin, a girl to form the amorous triangle, the guy that always helps the hero, cheesy dialogues, and a soul deep love that no one understands why it is there. Add all that to sword fights and over power characters, plus a damsel in distress. Yeah. Nice.

As I said, the art was pleasant, but also didn’t hold my attention. One thing that did bothered me was the size of Suguha’s boobs, as she is twelve – from what I have gathered. Honestly, teen girls on this age have not those boobs. I wonder if this becomes a hentai (a.k.a. pornographic) title, as the traces are on that style. Or maybe I’m too much of a bore, haha!

Overall, if you like semi-dystopian and adventure mangas, or shoujos, I think you should give SAO a try. Maybe it is your type 😀

Thank you for reading! Tomorrow’s review shall come back to my default style of reading, if you get my drift. Yaoi.

 

 

*ps: I do not own the illustration, it was found on Google, belong to Tsubasa Haduki-sensei and were used with illustrative purposes only 🙂