 Hi everyone! Long time no see! I just started my last semester of high school, and although I still have a full course load, I have had the opportunity to read some fantastic books recently, so I decided to post a little update on my reading progress! Currently Reading: I am about halfway through My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman. I'm reading it for book club, and I have some mixed feelings on it so far. I think the storytelling and narrator are really unique, but it is an interesting experience to have a young child as a protagonist! Recently Finished: In January, I finished three books. I finished Hot: Living Through the Next Fifty Years on Earth by Mark Hertsgaard, which I was reading for a research project. I found it quite insightful and highly relevant. I also finished A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout, which was also great. Finally, I finished Beloved by Toni Morrison. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of reading this book. The sense of ambiguity running throughout the novel was really appealing to me, and I found myself rereading sections and picking up more details. Reading Next: Next, I will be reading My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I am also looking to start a reread of the Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo, in preparation for the TV series coming out! What are you currently reading or thinking of starting? If you participate in WWW Wednesday, leave a link in the comments, and I will be sure to check it out! :)
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 Hi! I'm currently swamped with school work and college applications, but I've been sneaking in some reading time here and there! Here's some reading updates for this week: Currently Reading: I am currently reading A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout (yes, still!) and Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur! Recently Finished: I have recently finished The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout and Fences by August Wilson. Reading Next: Next, I will be reading Hot: Living through the Next Fifty Years on Earth by Mark Hertsgaard for a school research paper. I am also looking forward to reading My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg soon! What are you currently reading or thinking of starting? If you participate in WWW Wednesday, leave a link in the comments, and I will be sure to check it out! :)
 Let's make a deal that we don't borrow tomorrow's problems today. - A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout Featuring...  If you participate in Teaser Tuesday, leave a link in the comments, and I will be sure to check it out! Let me know what you are currently reading :).
 It's Monday and you know what that means: it's time for an update on what I'm reading!
I'm currently reading three books. This week, I will be finishing up Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. I will also be continuing Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv, which is a book I am reading for school. Finally, I will be starting A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout, which I am super excited to start getting into! If you do an IMWAYR post, please leave the link in the comments below, and I will be sure to check it out! Comment below and let me know what you are reading :).  Fear and bravery are often one and the same. It either makes you a warrior or a coward. The only difference is the person it resides inside.  Title: From Blood and Ash Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout Series: Blood and Ash, #1 Genre: High Fantasy, Romance Publisher: Blue Box Press Date Published: March 29, 2020 Pages: 634 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Synopsis: A Maiden… Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers. A Duty… The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden. A Kingdom… Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel. Review:
Jennifer L. Armentrout has outdone herself with this book. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge Armentrout fan, and will read anything she releases. But, WOW. From Blood and Ash is by far the best book of hers I have read yet, and I have read a LOT. Armentrout brings the romance, balances it out with a stunning emphasis on world building, and throws in some of the most intriguing characters I’ve ever seen, culminating in a book that is truly out of this world. I will admit, From Blood and Ash, or FB&A as it’s more affectionately known, started out slow. I didn’t really know if I’d end up liking where I thought the novel was going, but I was pleasantly surprised. Plot twist after plot twist, Armentrout keeps the reader guessing until, quite literally, the last page. When I say that you won’t know what is going to happen until the very end, I truly am not kidding. Now, this book is over 600 pages, so character development is to be expected, but let me tell you, FB&A knocked it out of the park. I’ve never loved and hated so many characters at once. Overall, I HIGHLY recommend you give this novel a chance. If you need me, you’ll find me with my nose buried in A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, the sequel to this phenomenal book :).  Hi everyone! I haven't participated in one of the WWW Wednesdays in over 3 years, so I thought it would be a nice change to start it up again! So, without further ado, let's get into what I've been reading! Currently Reading: I'm currently reading two different books. I am reading Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi for book club and A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout for fun (so excited about this one!). Recently Finished: Last week, I finished Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight. It is extremely different from the types of books I typically reach for, but it was an interesting switch! Reading Next: Next, I will be reading Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv for a school research paper, and in October, I am looking forward to reading The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout! What are you currently reading or thinking of starting? If you participate in WWW Wednesday, leave a link in the comments, and I will be sure to check it out! :)
 Things are sweeter when they're lost. - The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald  Synopsis: The Beautiful and Damned, F. Scott Fitzgerald's second novel, tells the story of Anthony Patch, a 1920s socialite and presumptive heir to a tycoon's fortune. Anthony and his wife Gloria are young and gorgeous, rich and leisured, and dedicate their lives to the reckless pursuit of happiness. But this intimate story turns tragic, as their marriage disintegrates under the weight of their expectations, dissipation, jealousy and aimlessness. Fitzgerald skilfully portrays the east-coast elite as the Jazz Age begins its ascent, engulfing all classes into what will soon be known as Cafe Society. As with all of Fitzgerald's novels, it is a brilliant character study written in breathtaking prose. It is also a gripping account of the complexities of marriage, largely based on Fitzgerald's relationship with his wife, Zelda. If you do Teaser Tuesday posts, please leave the link in the comments and I will be sure to check it out! Let me know what you are currently reading!
 Hi everyone! It's been a while since I've posted an update on what I'm currently reading, so I figured I'd give an update!
The first book that I am currently reading is The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald. So far I'm really enjoying it! In addition, I will be starting Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare very soon. Finally, I will be starting The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, which I am reading for a virtual book club. If you do an IMWAYR post, please leave the link in the comments below, and I will be sure to check it out. Comment below and let me know what you are reading! :)  By you, I am forever undone.  Title: The Queen of Nothing Author: Holly Black Series: The Folk of the Air, #3 Genre: Fantasy, YA, Romance, Fae Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Date Published: November 19, 2019 Pages: 308 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Synopsis: He will be the destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne. Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power. Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril. Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics. And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity… From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes the highly anticipated and jaw-dropping finale to The Folk of the Air trilogy. Review:
Wow. WOW!! I read the first book in this series, The Cruel Prince, a little while ago and didn’t really enjoy it that much. I still decided to read the second book, The Wicked King, which I liked a lot more. I just recently got around to reading The Queen of Nothing, and I am SO glad I continued reading this series. Where I felt the first book was lacking, The Queen of Nothing more than made up for it. I’m super excited to review this book, so let’s get into it! Without giving away too much, the amount of continued world-building in this book is incredible! With this being the final book in a trilogy, I really didn’t expect much expansion on the world Holly Black created with the first two books, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was the world expanded, but Black also continued to build upon existing elements, strategically creating a tangible world in which the characters resided. Another thing I really enjoyed was the development of the two main characters, Jude and Cardan. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know I’m a sucker for character development, and The Queen of Nothing was filled with it! The way in which Black explores her characters to the full extent was something I really appreciated and it really pushed this book from three to four stars for me. Overall, this book did a great job of tying everything together from the previous books and truly expanding upon the characters. I really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good fae fantasy series. If you’ve read and liked the ACOTAR series, I think you’ll really enjoy this one!  You don't need to worry about me, Peaches. I'm always going to come back to you. That's a promise.  Title: The Burning Shadow Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout Series: Origin, #2 Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, YA, SciFi Publisher: Tor Teen Date Published: October 8, 2019 Pages: 432 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Synopsis: When Evelyn Dasher crossed paths with Luc, she was thrown headfirst into the world of the Lux—only to discover that she was already far more involved in their world than she ever suspected. Because the Luxen aren’t the only ones with a hidden past. There’s a gap in Evie’s memory, lost months of her life and a lingering sense that something happened, something she can’t remember and nobody is willing to tell her. She needs to find out the truth about who she is—and who she was. But every answer she finds only brings up more questions. Her search for the truth brings her ever closer to Luc, the Origin at the center of it all. He’s powerful, arrogant, inhumanly beautiful, extremely dangerous…and possibly in love with her. But even as Evie falls for him, she can’t help but wonder if his attraction is to her, or to the memory of a girl who no longer exists. And all the while, a new threat looms: reports of a flu-like, fatal virus that the government insists is being spread by Luxen. A horrifying illness that changes whoever it touches, spreading panic across a country already at its breaking point. #1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the world of the Lux with this steamy, shocking second installment of the Origin series that will leave readers reeling. Review:
Did I blow off a ton of school work to read this book? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. The Burning Shadow seamlessly picks up pretty much where The Darkest Star (book #1 in the series) left off. The second I cracked open this much awaited release, I knew I was in for a wild ride. This is one of those forget to feed the dog, stay home from work, blow off your responsibilities until you finish reading, type of books. I have a few things I’d like to touch on throughout this review so let’s get into it! First off, who is the queen of swoon-worthy book boyfriends? Yup, you guessed it! Jennifer L. Armentrout! Every single series of hers that I have read contains some of the most dreamy guys! Even though that is definitely a plus, something that I absolutely loved was the character development in this story. Luc, the main male character, is someone whom we met in the Lux series, as a young teenager, and being able to see him develop from that stage, to where he is in the Origin series, is incredible. In addition to being able to clearly observe the evolution of Luc, the other main characters in the book (Evie, Zoe, Heidi, etc.) also unquestionably go through significant developments and transformations of their own, even just through the two books that we’ve seen them in so far (especially Evie ;)). The world building in The Burning Shadow is absolutely incredible, immediately tossing the reader right into the world of the Luxen. If you weren’t aware, this series takes place in the same world as another one of JLA’s series, the Lux series. It is by no means easy to continue adding onto an already established world, keeping readers interested with new additions to the world, but Armentrout does it, and she does it perfectly. The Lux series has been one of my favorite series for a long time (it was one of the books that got me into reading and blogging!)and even though I have read it several times, with the Origin series, Armentrout continues to spring so many new twists and turns, that I don’t think I could ever get bored. Of course with these cliffhangers, one could never get bored (OMG the cliffhanger killed me!!)! A big thing I love about The Burning Shadow is the reappearance of old and beloved characters from the Lux series being interspersed throughout the book. It’s amazing to be able to revisit these characters in new and different circumstances, and see what they’ve been doing since the last series ended! Finally, I just want to mention how much I adore this series, and really all of Armentrout’s works. There is something truly special about the way she writes, filling all of her books with passion and wonder. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend picking up any of her novels, I promise you definitely won’t regret it! |
Currently Reading:The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Reading Challenges:Goodreads 2021: 3/20
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