Book Review | The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Genre: Fantasy/Folklore Fiction

Publication Date: 10th January 2017

My Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Page

Goodreads Summary:

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

**No Spoilers**

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I'd heard a lot of good things about this book before reading it so i was really interested in picking it up. All I knew was that it was about Russian Folklore and people had compared the 'feel' of it as liked Uprooted, which I really enjoyed. I wasn't disappointed by this book, but equally something about it wasn't quite for me.

I found the characters very interesting and unique, particularly Vasya and her brother. Anna infuriated me (as she is meant to), and I really found myself feeling creeped out by Konstantin. I really felt the emotions in this book, and I feel the author did an amazing job of conveying the mood of the novel and the characters within. 

Arden really has a way with words because this book was beautifully written. It was enchanting throughout with magical imagery painted into her writing. I really felt like I was there in the woods, or the farm, or in Moscow. I also loved the magical creatures and fairytales that I'd never heard of before. They really gave me an insight into Russian culture that I'd never had before. The author clearly invested so much time into researching all the folklore and it pays off.

One thing I didn't like started about 50% of the way through the book. It started feeling very nature versus religion with no in between. I found Konstantin to be very similar to Frollo from Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame; with his lusting over a teenage girl and then blaming her for being the 'devil's temptation'. I feel like this trope of Nature v. Religion is very overused in books and it made me feel as though I'd read this story before.

Although most characters felt very real, some of them unfortunately fell flat for me and I feel that not much time was spent  to get to know them. In particular this happened with most of Vasya's siblings. The pacing also felt a bit off with years passing in the first 75% (so much so that sometimes I couldn't work out what ages many characters were), and then a solid focus on just a couple of weeks for the last 25% of the book. The pacing just threw me off a bit and didn't feel like it fit with the way the rest of the book was written.

Having said those things, I did really enjoy reading this book, but there was just something missing for me. I'm not sure if it was my lack of knowledge regarding Russian folklore and words, or if the pacing and certain characters took me out of the story too much. Either way, I would still definitely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in folklore or Russian history. It does make for a fascinating read.

Book Review | There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

Genre: YA/Horror

Publication Date: 26th September 2017

My Rating: ★★.5

Goodreads Page

Goodreads Summary:
Scream meets YA in this hotly-anticipated new novel from the bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss.

One-by-one, the students of Osborne High are dying in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, the dark secrets among them must finally be confronted.

**No Spoilers**

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was really intrigued by the idea of this book, mostly because the author, Stephanie Perkins, is well known for her contemporary romance series. I did enjoy her writing in her previous books, so when I heard she was writing a horror novel like Scream, I was definitely interested in picking this up.

I really liked the diversity of the characters (having biracial and trans characters in a YA book is very refreshing). However, while the main character was very fleshed out and her diversity was explored, I felt like the trans character was only briefly mentioned and nothing else to do with their character was particularly explored. I felt like a lot of side characters fell flat, and only Makani and Ollie were explored with any real depth. I also enjoyed the extra mystery surrounding the main characters regarding her past. To be honest, it was the only thing that kept me reading once I got to who the killer was. 

Overall, I was slightly disappointed with this book. While it had its moments of tension, the murders were all very similar and you could tell immediately when one was about to happen. Finding out who the murderer was earlier than I expected to was also a bit of a disappointment. Especially since I didn't feel any shock at finding out who it was. Perhaps if there had been more build up, or some extra characters had been in the story more often, I would've cared more.

Everything was quite stereotypical for a slasher book (where the murders took place, etc.). I also felt like the motive wasn't properly explored and a lot of the murders were just lots of gore for the sake of it. The big reveal of the side mystery was also sadly not as interesting as the build-up to it. I really thought it was going to be something enormous and it just wasn't. 

Overall, I felt like this was an okay horror story. Perkins writing was enjoyable and fast-paced and I was able to read the book in under a day. It will probably frighten people more if they haven't already seen films like Scream or other slasher horrors. I'm sure some people will absolutely love this book, so it's worth picking up for your own opinion, but it just wasn't for me this time.

Top Five Wednesday | Second Book is Best

This week's Top Five Wednesday is the top five 'second book in a series'. We've talked about series that went downhill, and series that are worth it, but which series were best in the middle? I love this topic because we often talk about how trilogies suffer from 'second book syndrome', aka the worst book in the series because it's a filler. It's refreshing to get to talk about the authors who manage to do this well.

1. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

I absolutely loved the first two books in this trilogy, but the final book was one of the most disappointing endings I've ever read. I really didn't like the supernatural elements and I feel like it worked so much better as a psychological thriller. This book was so fast-paced and tense. It genuinely made me feel scared and it also completely messed with my head. It was exactly what I wanted the book to be. It was easily the best book in this trilogy.

2. Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake

This is the second book in the Gormenghast trilogy (the first book being Titus Groan). This is a high fantasy trilogy that my sister recommended to me for years. I finally read them this year and loved them. I really enjoyed the highly descriptive language and the characters were fantastically fleshed out. The final book in the trilogy is very strange in a sad way. The author got dementia and it really seeped into his final book. Unfortunately, he died before publication so his son had to compile the final book which is much shorter than the other two. I do love the first book, but the second book is easily the best.

3. Hunger by Michael Grant

The Gone Series by Michael Grant is one of my favourite YA series ever. I do love nearly every book in this series equally but the second book is easily a 5 star book. If you've not picked up this series because you don't want to invest time in a long series, or because you're sick of YA Dystopian, please give these books a go anyway; they are fantastically written and nothing like any other YA I've ever read.

4. Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

Don't get me wrong, I loved Ender's Game, but Speaker for the Dead blew me away. I know there are issues with this author, but this book was amazing. I loved the exploration into different worlds and the mystery of what is happening on the planet. I've never read anything quite like it before and it left me needing the rest of the series.

5. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Now, this book is only last on my list because I know it'll be on nearly everyone's list. This is probably the best second book in a series that I've ever read. It's easily the best book in its own trilogy and it's probably one of my favourite books of all time. Sarah J. Maas (despite some issues generally known), can write so well and her characters are fantastic. Rhysand is absolutely wonderful and I loved that she can twist her characters so you see very single side of them. She has a skill for writing incredibly three-dimensional characters that you either love or hate.

So, those are my top five! Let me know what your Top Five are below, or if you have a blog post then link it! Just in case anyone is new to this, Top Five Wednesday was created by Lainey (Gingerreadslainey on YouTube) and is now run my Sam (ThoughtsonTomes on Youtube), so that people can share more of their favourite (or sometimes least favourite) books in an interesting way. Sam creates weekly topics for each month so Bloggers and YouTubers alike to discuss books. The group which lists the monthly topics can be found here! And if you want to see more of my previous Top Five Wednesday Blog posts, you can click here!

Booktube-a-thon 2017 | Wrap-Up!

WRAP-UP

Today marked the final day of the Booktube-a-Thon! The seven day read-a-thon is once again at an end, and it flew by. I managed to read all 7 books this year, as well as completing all of the challenges! (Although I may have cheated on one challenge slightly with an idea a booktuber gave me). Without further ado, here are all the books I read during the booktube-a-thon.

Read Books:

1. Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (608 pages)

2. Saga, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (160 pages)

3. Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (144 pages)

4. Saga, Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (144 pages)

5. Saga, Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (152 pages)

6. Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (608 pages)

7. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus (360 pages)

Read but not completed:

1. In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park (140 pages)

2. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (29 pages)

Overall Page Count for the Week: 2345 pages

And the Challenges I completed:

1. Read a book with a person on the cover.

Saga, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

2. Read a hyped book.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

3. Finish a book in one day.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

4. Read about a character that is very different from you.

Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

5. Finish a book completely outdoors.

Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (I finished it outside. That counts right?)

6. Read a book you bought because of the cover.

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

7. Read seven books.

Huzzah! I finally completed the read 7 books in 7 days challenge! This is the first time I've managed to complete all of the challenges during Booktube-a-thon!

So, overall I read 7 books and completed all of the challenges. I also managed to start 2 other books as well! I'm very proud of this and really happy with how the week went. I was working Monday-Friday (and was off sick on Wednesday and couldn't really read), so I think it went while in spite of that! Please let me know below how your Booktube-a-thon went and if you completed the challenges in the comments. Also, if you've written a blog post/have a YouTube channel then feel free to comment and leave a link below!

In case any of you haven't heard of this event, it was was created by Ariel Bissett and the Youtube channel where she explains in more detail can be found if you click here. There is also a twitter page to follow called @BookTubeAThon which you can follow for updates.

Booktube-a-thon | Day One

DAY ONE

Yesterday was Day One of the Booktube-a-thon! I don't plan on doing updates every single day, because I'll be doing a wrap up at the end of the week, but I thought I'd do one today. In case any of you haven't heard of this event, it was was created by Ariel Bissett and the Youtube channel where she explains in more detail can be found if you click here. There is also a twitter page to follow called @BookTubeAThon which you can follow for updates and also reading sprints! The event runs for 7 days in July: 24th July - 30th July starting and ending at midnight wherever you live. There are also challenges to take part in during the event, but these are entirely optional.

I have had to work today, so I've got slightly less reading done than I would like (I also spent several hours playing the new Crash remake because it's amazing). However, I did manage to read on my lunch break and for a few hours tonight! I'm managed to re-read Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. I'd forgotten how amazing this book is, and I'm so excited to have read it again. I've now moved on to Gemina (the companion novel for Illuminae, I believe). I've also been listening to the audiobook of In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park.

Below is my current total pages read for Day One:

Illuminae - 608 pages
In Order to Live - 10 pages (audiobook)

Total so far: 618 pages.

2017 Booktube-a-thon Challenges and TBR!

This year I'm going to take part in the Booktube-a-thon properly for the first time in three years! In case any of you haven't heard of this event I'll explain a bit about it before I continue. The event was created by Ariel Bissett and the Youtube channel where she explains in more detail can be found if you click here. There is also a twitter page to follow called @BookTubeAThon which you can follow for updates and also reading sprints! The event runs for 7 days in July: 24th July - 30th July starting and ending at midnight wherever you live. There are also challenges to take part in during the event, but these are entirely optional.

I'm very excited to take part again this year so, without further ado, here is my TBR!:

1. Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

2. Saga Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

3. Saga Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

4. Saga Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

5. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

6. Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

7. If I have time I will choose another book for the read-a-thon for this slot!

I just realised I seem to be planning a very sci-fi week, but I thought these books would be the most realistic goals as they're quick and easy to read.

And below are the 2017 reading challenges and which books will complete them:

1. Read a book with a person on the cover.

Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

2. Read a hyped book.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

3. Finish a book in one day.

Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

4. Read about a character that is very different from you.

Again, the characters in Saga are very different  from me in many respects: race, gender, sexuality, etc.

5. Finish a book completely outdoors.

I definitely think that Saga Volume 3 can be completed outdoors.

6. Read a book you bought because of the cover.

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. These books are very pretty.

7. Read seven books.

I'm not sure if I'll manage to complete this one but I've picked some realistic goals this time, so hopefully I will! I'll choose a book on the day if I manage to complete the above.

I definitely don't expect to complete all of these books and challenges as I will be working nearly every day, but I will definitely be trying. Fingers crossed! Let me know if you'll be participating this year and what books you'll be reading! Feel free to leave links to your blog posts/videos below!

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag 2017!

So, it's been a while but I'm going to stop saying that whenever I have long gaps between blog posts! Had a very busy year with moving and starting a new, awesome job. Because of this I've read 46 books so far this year, which is good but not as well as I've done in previous years. Regardless, I've decided to do the Mid-Year Book Freak Out tag as it's one of my favourite tags to see on Booktube/Book Blogs. I'm not sure who originally created the tag but all credit goes to them! Basically, the tag is to go through the books you've read so far this year to see which are the best/worst/etc. I'm going to try not repeat myself too much with these so hopefully there'll be no books mentioned twice, even though I definitely could! Here we go:

1. Best book you've read so far in 2017

For this it will have to be Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. In fact, I would love to pick both books in the duology because they were such incredible books! I first read Bardugo's YA Shadow & Bone trilogy this year which I found to be pretty good, but this spin-off duology just blew me away. The world was so well built and the characters were some of the best I've ever read. I would definitely read more books with these wonderful characters in them and I recommend them to anyone, whether you've read the original trilogy or not (although it will have spoilers for the trilogy!). 

2. Best sequel you've read so far

I've read so many incredible sequels this year (as mentioned above already), but for this I will have to say Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake. It's the second book in the Gormenghast trilogy; a high fantasy set of books that are absolutely incredible and not that well known. My sister has been telling me for years to read them and I'm really glad I finally got around to it. They are quite dense and intimidating but well worth the read as the story is so captivating. 

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas. No two ways about this one! I am currently re-reading A Court of Mist and Fury (one of my favourite books from last year), so hopefully I'll be on to this soon!

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

This one is a bit tougher as there are a lot of books I'm looking forward to coming out, but I think it will probably be a toss-up between Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas or Warcross by Marie Lu

5. Biggest disappointment

I've already had a few disappointing reads this year and this question is definitely between two books: Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige or Caraval by Stephanie Garber. Unfortunately, I think Caraval has been the bigger disappointment purely because I got an advanced reader's copy and it had so much hype around it, but didn't live up to it. I may write a full review of my biggest gripes at some point.

6. Biggest surprise

Where am I Now by Mara Wilson. This was mostly a surprise because I don't often read non-fiction and really enjoy it, but I most certainly did for this. In fact, her book was absolutely incredible and perfectly described what growing up with anxiety is like. It also contained so many anecdotes from her time on Matilda, Mrs Doubtfire and many more films, which made me chuckle.

7. Favourite new author (Debut or new to you)

Tara Altenbrando who wrote The Leaving. This book was captivating and just perfect for me. I love thriller/mysteries and this was just what I needed at the time. If you enjoy that genre of book then you'll definitely enjoy this suspense-filled novel. Could not recommend it more.

8. Newest fictional crush

Meh, I don't usually get these, but I do love Rhysand as a character from the Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy.

9. Newest favourite character

Ronan from the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. I think I found him to be the most three-dimensional. I also loved how much of anti-hero he was because of his struggles, but he was still ultimately a good guy.

10. Book that made you cry

The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer. This book was spectacular. It portrayed someone suffering with mental health difficulties in an extremely realistic and moving way. It was so cleverly written; skipping between the past and present and using different fonts to portray where the character was. It was also full of unreliable narration and drew attention to the fact, which I also really enjoyed. I read this book in one sitting and it moved me to tears. Highly recommend it!

11. Book that made you happy

Pokemon Adventures Volume 1 by Kusaka and Mato. I first read this when I was about 7 or 8 and I've finally bought them all and read them in order. So much nostalgia. They follow Red, Blue and Green, and their adventures as Pokemon trainers. If you were a fan of the Pokemon video game then these are definitely for you. Also, a lot more sinister than the TV show ever was!

12. Favourite book to film adaptation you saw this year

I actually haven't seen any yet, but I did read If I Stay this year so I might try the film! Let me know if any of you thought it was any good.

13. Favourite review you've written this year

As you might have noticed, I've been rather absent this year on my blog so I don't have a favourite review. Hopefully, I'll write another one before the end of the year.

14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)

This has to be either The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, or Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Those covers <3

15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

SO MANY BOOKS. I have a very large TBR Pile. To name a few I definitely want to get to soon though, I'll limit it to the top five I want to read this year:

1. Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

2. The Black Prism Trilogy by Brent Weeks

3. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

4. Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

5. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

So many books! Let me know if you've done this tag and if you've read any of these books! :) 

BOOK REVIEW | Strange Lands by Anderson Atlas

Genre: Middle Grade/Adventure

Publication Date: 1st August 2016

My Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Page

Goodreads Summary:

Ripped from his wheelchair by a massive flash flood, Allan drags himself through dense forest only to find himself surrounded by strange and ruthless creatures who are not from Earth. Allan can’t run away and has no means to defend himself. Instinct overcomes his terror and his cleverness blossoms, which is all he needs to survive the dark jungles, poisonous plants, Shadic hunters and the vile slave trader Killian Crow.

Follow Allan's path of self-discovery, and watch him take back what he's lost. Surviving the Improbable Quest is a spine tingling adventure, with exciting twists & turns. A perfect and inspiring read for 10 and up. 

**No Spoilers**

I received a copy of this book from the author of this book in exchange for an honest review. When I was contacted about this book I was extremely intrigued by its premise: a young boy in a wheelchair is taken to another land and has to survive in order to get back. And it didn't disappoint as a middle grade novel. I read through this book in just one sitting as it was such a quick, enjoyable read.

The book was exciting and fast-paced, and I loved the cast of characters that came into the book, especially Allan's Uncle, who was just a wonderful person (seriously, I couldn't have loved his character any more, he was just so selfless throughout). Despite the book being short, I felt like nearly all the characters were fleshed out enough although I would love to hear more about some of their backstories and more about the world they live in (but this is the first book in the series!). 

The land that Allan ends up in was so imaginative and fantastical that it almost reminded be of and Alice in Wonderland-like place, where everything was a bit bizarre and also a little bit twisted on how we would expect the world to work. I also really liked how it tied the real world to this magical land and the idea behind it was very cleverly written. I have to say I did not see the twist at the end coming and it worked so well, adding some very tense moments to the last few chapters! 

But, I think the main thing I loved about this book was the fact that we had a teenage boy having to deal with a lot of stress and tragedy in his life, and he didn't always deal with it well. It was very realistic in that respect and the author's treatment of PTSD and disabilities was handled wonderfully. Allen was such a relatable character for anyone who's suffered trauma and I can see hundreds of children feeling grateful that someone else has felt this way; knowing it's okay to be angry and sad, but also how to deal with that. I especially loved that the adventure was a way to help Allan come to terms with being unable to walk.

Overall, I felt like this book was a lovely middle-grade adventure book for both children and adults. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy/adventure books.