Goood Sunday to all lovely readers out there! Welcome to my TBR of the Week actually, my TBR for the past three weeks that seems to be stopped at every ARC I remember I forgot I should be reading: The Son of Neptune, second book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, by Rick Riordan ❤
Good day to you! It is I, the urban legend of book bloggers back once again from the hiatus sea. I’ve realized I never got to do a wrap up for September and we are totally still in schedule for an October one, so why not do both in the same post, right? =D It will save time for everyone, yay!
September
Wrap Up
*titles with links are already reviewed, isn’t this a miracle?!! =O*
So, September was a crazy reading month for me. I do promise I kept my life on its regular tracks and that I didn’t skip work to read as I say that I’ve read 26 books that month.
I’ve broken another reading record, haha!
Unfortunately, I can’t remember if I bought any books that particular month or if I bought something in October, so no Book Hauls =( Sorry, my memory sucks! I used to document each book bought on a word doc, but oh well. I think I’ll go back to it on December, haha!
October
Wrap Up
In October, I didn’t manage to read so many books as in September because of my Game of Thrones Challenge, but I read all the mangas I hadn’t in the previous month in between the bloody pages of GOT, oops! So I’ve read only 6 books… But also 26 volumes of manga, haha!
I have been asked where in all seven hells I have managed to squeeze in so many mangas in the middle of a Game of Thrones challenge, but I’m not really allowed to talk about my time turning abilities? Hahaha! No, seriously, I don’t have a good explanation, sorry =/
Books
Mangas
*I forgone the reading dates because I usually read a manga volume in 20 minutes =)
I promise I slowed myself down on November – we are on the 12th and I’ve only finished three books and no mangas! I’m behaving… For now? Hahaha!
I don’t have anything fancy planned to November yet, but in my TBR you’ll definitely find…
November TBR
After I knock these down, I’ll just be a rebel and fish all the lovely books I’ve received this year from authors and publishers that remain unread for a reason or another and start a slow and steady process of reading and reviewing them all. #ambitious
BONUS: The next reviews you can expect to see here are for the Never Veil series =D
That’s it, guys! Once again, thanks so much for sticking around until the end of the post, I know I have been writing too much, oops! Love you all!
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? 🙂
Hi, there! AFY, today your blogger is on fire, as all my posts are going live – thank you, February new books ¬¬”
Anyway, we are not here to talk about my failed posting schedule, but to talk about the first book in the Percy Jackson series (is there someone on the world who calls it “the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series”? Like, all fanciness and all? I can’t even picture saying it out loud on the title, haha!), The Lightening Thief 😀 To my shame, I only read this series for the first time last January (I mean 2015 and not last month, haha!). Needless to say that it changed my heart and now I’m a believer. This was one of the books I wish to re-read this year and I can’t wait to squeeze the rest of the series into the other months ❤
The Story
I feel a bit silly re-telling a story that everybody knew way before me, but here we go
Percy is a 12-year-old boy without much luck in his life. No matter how hard he tries, disasters seem to follow him anywhere, making the weirdest things happen – and getting him expelled of five schools in a roll. To top everything, he is dyslexic, has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the worst stepfather of the whole world: Smelly Gabe. And trust me, you don’t want to know the reason behind this lovely nickname.
Until a trip to the beach with his mom, Percy thought his life weird and unlucky, but manageable. But a hurricane totally out of season and a big monster show Percy that things can always get worse. Without any choice, he ends up on the Half-Blood Camp with his best friend Grover – that, by the way, reveals himself as a satyr.
Now, besides being really unlucky, dyslexic and attention deficient, Percy also has to deal with the existence of real (and very angry) Greek gods that are more than willing to use him and the other children at the camp as they please for their own schemes. Percy time has arrived and his life depends on completing divine tasks.
The thing is… Can Percy focus on the gods’ will?
The Analysis
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂
When I was younger and this series exploded in the world, I remember reading a synopsis that was so crappy that led me into believing that this was a stupid series. Then the movies came out and I was “sure” It was crap. Sorry if you enjoyed the movies, haha! Then last summer came (again, 2015, not last month) and I was at a friend’s place – yeah, I’m talking about you, Jen! – and she pestered me so much that I said “FINE, I WILL GIVE PERCY JACKSON A GO, NOW SHUT UP”. Or something like that. Her memory is better, she can tell our stories better than me, haha! Anyway, long story short, I was madly in love with Percy Jackson and devoured all five books in a week’s space. And then felt like life didn’t matter anymore because there was no more than five books. You know, same old, same old with us book lovers.
On my first read, I gave it four stars. I’m officially raising it to five stars now 🙂
The narrative is first person styled from Percy’s point of view only. On the beginning of my first read, it bothered me a little. On my re-read, I think it works. Percy is just like us – you know, our 12-year-old selves – and this makes it so easy for the reader to connect with him. He grew up believing that Greek gods were just random characters from another culture and suddenly has to deal with the living things. Also, the narrative style makes the story funny and light, even on its worse moments.
The plot is complex and full of twists, as there are so many elements to fit into the book. I loved how well Riordan executed it. Percy Jackson is one of the most well written series that I ever read, the kind that you just can’t find a flaw, a lose end, a forgotten character. Seriously, there is nothing to hold against it, haha!
Percy is the perfect 12-year-old, in qualities and flaws. It is amazing! Even being 20 when I first read this book, I highly identified with him. Percy is random, observant, kinda lazy, funny and gets real mad when he is accused of doing something he clearly didn’t. (Btw, that was one of Jen’s arguments: “you will love him because he is just like you!”. Damn, she was right! But don’t tell her that, she’ll get cocky.) And he has the natural curiosity of children towards anything he doesn’t know, which is really helpful for the reader that is so new on the real Greek gods world as himself is.
All Riordan’s characters are very well constructed and developed. I call favorites with Annabeth, because she is not a helpless female in the team, Luke, because he is beautiful and skillful and has another secret trait that really attracts me but it would be a huger spoiler to tell, Hades, because he is the best god #justsaying, and Percy’s mom. Okay, but Grover and Quíron in the list. Ugh, I love Percy Jackson’s world!
Naturally, I have to comment on the semi-dystopian world that Riordan created: awesome stuff.
Seriously, I have nothing to add to what has been already said. He re-created the Greek gods in such a fashion that is hard to imagine them any different now. It absorbers you and suddenly you’re convinced that you’re a victim of the Mist and that’s why you can’t see the true monster nature of your Math teacher. As I said, I’m a believer, haha!
Overall, I think that everyone that hasn’t already should just pick up this series and give it a go. Forget all about the crappy (sorry) movies and just allow uncle Rick to carry you around ❤
Thank you for reading and thank you Jen, who so vehemently insisted that I should give this series a go ❤ I can’t wait for the next series that you will push through my guts recommend me 😀 And please don’t forget I love you, so there is no need for slapping me after you read this review.
Hello, there! Today is the day to count war spoils and dead bodies from the Rainbow Readathon that I decided to participate on Instagram 😀
I have to say that definitely I’m growing up on readathons. Comparing to my last one, the #bookishathon was a huge success 😀
Those were the books that I had challenged myself to read:
Emma, Jane Austen (Red and Orange)
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, Rick Riordan (Green and Orange)
Escape to Gettis… and Love, Gerri Bowden (New author to me, Green and Blue)
Cinderella, a children’s book edition (shortest book and Purple)
Wonder Woman (Yellow and graphic novel)
Gifted Thief, Helen Harper (purple and new author to me)
Those were the books that I actually read this week:
I didn’t get to my Wonder Woman comic book or to finish Emma again, but I managed to read a rainbow 😀 ❤ To see the available reviews, click on the title’s links.
I’m still learning, but overall, I think I did a way better job than last time, haha!
That’s it, thanks for reading! Do you like readathons?
Hello, again! I know I am a little late to do this, but better late than never, haha! January is going to be insane for me, as my younger cousin is going to be here until Sunday and next week I may start a course – more info as my life goes, haha!
But I’m blabbering, let’s do this:
December Wrap Up
I’m very proud of my reading month! I’ve read 11 books!! =O I’m still wondering how I did it, so I can repeat the dose this month, haha!
December Book Haul
Books I have won as gifts
I know, I know. So many books, haha! I can explain 🙂 14 of my won books were at my uncle’s place, waiting for death. Yeah. So I won a cattle with lots of books and selected the ones that seemed promising 🙂 I wish I could have saved all books that were there, but there were some destroyed ones by the time, others that I knew for being a bore and some that weren’t my thing at all… Anyway, at least I could save some of them, haha!
Freebies that I got this month
Received books of this month
[BONUS: Borrowed books from my younger cousin]
January TBR
I want to play it low as I know my month will be crazy, so I have chosen six books:
That’s it! Thanks for reading this giant post, haha! Let’s see if I can make it 😀 have you decided what are going to be your first books of 2016??
Hi, there! Good morning and happy Saturday! As I already mentioned, Saturday is mainly book tag day, so here we go!
I was tagged FOREVER AGO by sweet Rosema, from A Reading Writer, and wanted to also apologize, as she tagged me on August and I only saw it months later and am only doing the tag today 😦 Sorry, I promise it won’t happen ever again ❤ But let’s go to the actual thing!*
Stripped with The Vampire [review here!] and I regret nothing ❤
Shielded Past [review here!]. Really, the psychological catch on this book melted my mind. I shivered without realizing while reading…
The End, last book in A Series of Unfortunate Events. Seriously, I dreaded it 😦
Viscount’s Wager [review here!], from Ava March ❤ [I bet you thought I was going to mention her in the first question, mwahaha mwahaha! Unfortunately, I’ve read Convincing the Secretary during my day light hours…]
The Vampire Diaries series, in which resides Damon Salvatore 🙂
Percy Jackson’s. Judge me all you want, I wouldn’t bear to live as a demigod without being able to read my precious books (and don’t you go Annabeth on me, everyone knows she’s Hermione from Percy Jackson series, haha!)
The Tutor [review here!], from Bonnie Dee. The atmosphere of that house made me feel like it was always night 😦
Sanctum, from Madeleine Roux. Honestly, I didn’t want to believe my eyes when my book was over, haha!
Wow, I don’t know… I mean, I often dream with Damon, but it’s not about the book or the show, so I really don’t know, haha!
Any of the monsters featured on the Deltora Quest series. OMG, I always had the chills while reading those books D:
That’s it! Thanks for reading ❤ Thanks for the tag and sorry again, Rosema! 😀 I had lots of fun doing this! If you are reading this post and likes tags… TAG, you’re it! Hahaha!
*I preferred to use my last read book for each of those experiences 🙂
Hello again! I decided to make a monthly book list with the hottest releases of the month (in my humble opinion, of course <3). So, here we have the October releases! ❤ You can check the previous list here 😉
Day 1
Once Upon a Zombie (Book One: The Color of Fear), by Billy Phillips & Jenny Nissenson
This book sounds pretty cute and there’s a giveaway for it on Goodreads, so I’m in, haha!
Day 6
The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1), by Rick Riordan
It’s Rick Riordan, for crying out loud. I don’t need to know what this is about lol.
Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell
I’m dying to start to read Rainbow’s novels, truly. This one follows Fangirl ❤
A Madness So Discreet, by Mindy McGinnis
You can count me in all books about madness of that discuss madness itself, it’s a fetiche of mine, haha!
The White Rose (The Lone City #2), by Amy Ewing
I want to read the first book of this series, sounds awesome! And now book 2 is here too ❤
The Witch of Lime Street: Séance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World, by David Jaher
The supernatural beliefs of the old also are another field of highly interest for me, so this book is a must-have for me ❤
Cleopatra’s Shadows, by Emily Holleman
Ancient Egypt and a good intrigue. I’m in!
Luther and Katharina: A Novel of Love and Rebellion, by Jody Hedlund
I’m Lutheran, so I can’t wait to see what the author made of his story with Katharina ❤
The Tournament at Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice: The Early Years #1), by John Flanagan
I started the Ranger series by John Flanagan earlier this year (check out the review for the first book here!) and I’m in love! I didn’t like this cover, but oh well. The book will be awesome!
Good Earl Gone Bad (Lords of Anarchy #2), by Manda Collins
You can give any historical romance set in 19th century England to read, I will love it. Sad truth.
[UPDATE] Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined, by Stephenie Meyer
You can read my detailed thoughts on this one at this post 🙂
Day 13
The Favorite (The Selection #2.6), by Kiera Cass
I finished The Heir some weeks ago and it’s never enough, haha!
Happily Ever After (The Selection 0.4, 0.5, 2.5, 2.6), by Kiera Cass
I already have the blue book with The Prince and The Guard, so I need this one too. Besides, look at this flawless cover!
The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt, by Kara Cooney
Ancient Egypt, biography. COUNT. ME. IN.
Day 20
Velvet Undercover, by Teri Brown
First, this cover. Then, a breathtaking blurb at Goodreads. I need this book.
Day 26
The Merchant and the Clergyman, by Bonnie Dee & Summer Devon
My ALL TIME FAVORITE FROM ALL THIS LIST! I NEED TO READ THIS BOOK! Ok, sorry. I have it bad from Bonnie and Summer, haha!
Omega (Omega #1), by Lizzy Ford
Sounded interesting and a friend gave it a good review. Let’s see 🙂
Day 27
I’ll Never Let You Go (Morgans of Nashville #3), by Mary Burton
This blurb got me so hard… I love horror thrillers, but read so few of them… A shame!
The Wrong Bride (Highland Weddings #1), by Gayle Callen
Again: give me any historical romance in England, truly lol.
After Alice, by Gregory Maguire
I didn’t read his previous works, but this book sounds nice. I like fairy tales gone bad and inspired by fairy tales books!
The Witches: Salem, 1692, by Stacy Schiff
This is another book that talks about the beliefs of the old, so I need to read it. I talked a bit about my weird romantic notions on this review.
Cold-Hearted Rake (Cold-Hearted Rake #1), by Lisa Kleypas
Yes, another one ❤
Falling Into Bed with a Duke (The Hellions of Havisham #1), by Lorraine Heath
And another ❤
Diamonds are Forever (The Secret Diamond Sisters #3), by Michelle Madow
I don’t know this series, I just met it actually. My attention was totally draw to this cover and I needed to learn more, haha! The series sound amazing and I want to read them now ❤
Day 31
Drown, by Esther Dalseno
I met this book on a giveaway at Instagram, it’s mermaid themed. I looove mermaid themed books, but only read one so far. Why? 😦 Besides, it’s a fairy tale gone bad book! *–*
For now, that’s all for October. Another full month for readers! Which is your most anticipated release for this month? 😀
If you follow me on my Instagram profile (follow me! :D) or read any of the posts in the blog, you may notice that I collect books besides reading and loving them, LOL. This collecting thing is a bit tiresome sometimes, I admit. This post is full of book lovers problems, be prepared.
I’m mostly unlucky with book boxes. I love them, I find them very beautiful and practical, but I usually already have all or most of the books inside of it to make it worth buying it. It’s so dammed frustrating! They take so long to release those that I already got the separate books instead.
I brought here three examples in my collection: The Selection series, Tales from the Kingdoms series and Percy Jackson main series.
The first series that I started among those three was TFTK, in my book reader. I loved it and needed it, but, short in money that I was, several months had passed before I was able to buy the printed copies as well. I bought Charm on a liquidation, then Venom at a used bookstore and then Beauty, on another liquidation. Some weeks ago, I saw a beautiful box with the three books inside at a bookstore and wanted to be dead. It was the economical edition. Dammit, guys 😦
The second series was The Selection. I also started it in my book reader after nudges from a friend and read them all in a matter of one week. A few months later, Christmas arrived and I was able to buy them all, in a beautiful box set. Points for me /o/
The third series, Percy Jackson, was very similar to The Selection, but I didn’t buy the box, as I didn’t find any; I just bought the five books at once and, again, navigating through an online bookstore, yesterday I found the box edition.
While admiting that buying a book at time has lots of advantages, I like the boxes way better. They usually have something more inside and, even when they haven’t, like my The Selection box didn’t, they still are pretty and good for organization in the book shelf.
Unfortuantelly, here in Brazil, they take too long to publish those and I don’t usually have that patience. The only ocasions that I can manage to buy boxes is when I don’t have money for a long time, like months, and them I go and buy the box set later. Oh, and we never know when a saga/author is going to turn into a box set too ://
There’s also the issue of costs. Even when publishers do release boxes, I usuallyt don’t have the money to buy them, as they have a greater cost at once than buying books separatelly 😦
I’ll remaing in my suffer, as not years of theraphy healed my anxiety with certain topics, but I can say that I’m happy to be buying more and more boxes, even in a slow rythm: today I just ordered online a box set from Collector’s Edition with two Austen romances, one Brontë and Little Women ❤
Resuming: I will keep ranting about how boxes are great and expansive, but I still prefer them and I’m still wanting the TFTK box set, LOL.
Good night, guys! I’m sorry for the delay on this post – I had promissed it at my Instagram account for last night, but life isn’t always as we plan, lol.
The Book Adventures of Annelise Lestrange 