Books I'm Excited for in 2017

These are books coming out next year that I will be getting the first moment I can. A lot of these don't have covers yet, but that's okay. We'll deal with it.

This isn't even a list, it's just a collection of books.

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

Sadly, this doesn't have a cover yet... le sigh. I'm ready for it though.

The Silver Mask by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

This also doesn't have a cover. Shit will be going down in this book and I need it so badly.

The Shaw Confessions by Michelle Hodkin

The synopsis for this made me a bit nervous because Mara and Noah are OTP. But I'm still gonna get this is soon as it comes out.

Windwitch by Susan Dennard

The first book was good, but I know it can be way better, I cannot wait to get my hands on this.

Feversong by Karen Marie Moning

I've been reading this series for years now, and I just need to know what's going to happen to the characters.

Shadow's Seduction by Kresley Cole

So Kresley Cole has two books from this series coming out next year, but I decided to just put this one on here because I'm more excited for it.

Into the Fire by Jeaniene Frost

Another book series I've been reading for years. It may look like a really cheesy romance novel, but it isn't overly cheesy. I promise.

The Struggle by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The third book in the Titans series. I love this series. I love this author. Give it to me now.

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Did you think I would forget this one? Now I think it might be a bit hard to top the last book, but I'm up for whatever this book will bring.

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

Yes. Just yes.

Because You Love to Hate Me

A book about villains, written by a whole bunch of authors and booktubers that I love? Sign me up.

DC books

There are four of them. Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman. And they will be written by Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, Matt De La Pena, and Marie Lu. I'm so excited.

Throne of Glass Book 6 by Sarah J. Maas

I'm ready for this long awaited victory. This is the book where they finally get there shit together.

And finally,

The Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare

Manus Banes book and it's gonna be an adult series!!!

What books are you guys excited to read next year?

Top 10 Favourite Main Characters of 2016

I decided to go with main characters so I wouldn't be sucked into using my book boyfriends, there will be an entirely other list for that ;)
Okay Let's get started!

10. Mark Watney from The Martian

Mark was crafty and smart and all around hilarious. An all around brilliant character.

9. Kestrel from the Winner's Curse

She was also a brilliant crafty character. I loved reading about her, it was just so intriguing.

8. Blue Sargent from The Raven Boys

I don't even know how to describe Blue. She was such a strong character but never seemed to fit into any category, which is why it's hard for me to really describe her. She's one of a kind.

7. Feyre from A Court of Mist and Fury

Feyre completely evolved in this book. She went from a girl struggling to figure out who she was, who needed to be coddled, to a woman who knew what she wanted and needed and wouldn't let anyone tell her what to do.

6. Mirabella from Three Dark Crowns

Although I did like all three sisters, Mirabella was my favourite. She was strong, but was still full of compassion. She loved her sisters while they hated her, she was the only one who didn't really care about winning, she just wanted her sisters back.

5. Gwen Shephard from the Ruby Red Trilogy

I don't what it was, I just really liked her, maybe it's because she seemed relatable. She just wanted to sit around and watch movies while being frown upon by her family while her other family member was put on a pedestal for being perfect. I think she handled the situation pretty well.

4. Inej from Crooked Kingdom

Inej is pretty down to earth. She has had so much bad stuff happen to her, she is a lot like a ghost. She is sort of trapped in her own head, but she welcomes the support from her friends. She has all the reason to push everyone away, but she doesn't do that, she lets these people in. I love her.

3. Emma Carstairs from Lady Midnight

Absolutely hilarious. She had me hooked the moment she broke up with her boyfriend and explained why. It was pure poetry. Not only was she hilarious, but she was so caring. She was both a lover and a fighter. I like that.

2. Kady Grant from Illuminae

She, like pretty much all of the characters on this list, was so funny. I loved her sense of humour, a little bit dark at times, but I like dark humour. She was also very intense at times and the whole plotting her ex's downfall made me smile like a lunatic. Great character.

1. Aelin Galathynius/Celaena Sardothian from Empire of Storms

I love both sides of her personality. The Aelin Galathynius side is ready to burn the world down to get what she wants, and what she wants is vengeance, and her country. Then there is the Celaena Sardothian side, playful and clever, but not any less badass then her other side. I know some people don't like her as much anymore, but I like her more with each passing day.

Hope you guys enjoyed this list! What are some of your favourite characters?

Illuminae Book Talk

Illuminae 
by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Release Date: October 20th 2015

Spoilers

Synopsis:

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

My Thoughts:

I gave this book 5 stars. It was almost a 4 star book, but the last 20 pages or so were just to good for me to give it just 4 stars. It earned that fifth star. It was amazing. The character development was better than I expected considering the way it was written. I had low expectations coming in since it didn't exactly seem like something I would enjoy, but the authors proved me wrong. I loved this book.

What I really loved about the book was that it was about two exs. I don't think I've ever read a book, besides contemporary probably, that dealt with two exs and them getting back together. I loved the angst between them. Kady was so mad at Ezra, she wanted to end him and this was just so funny to me. Even after they had their falling out though, Ezra was still in love with Kady and wanted to be with her. He sent her these emails all the time even when she stopped replying. That's dedication.

The antagonist of the book wasn't even really revealed till the last couple of pages. I was a bit confused about who the villain was supposed to be throughout the book. At first I thought it was Aidan, because that is a bit stereotypical. 

The computer becomes smart enough to realize it doesn't have to listen to people. But then near the last 100 pages or so, it was narrated mostly from the computers point of view, which I also thought was really fricken cool, and the computer had almost human features to it. It decided it really liked Kady and didn't want her to die so it protected her. They ended up solving the conflict together.

It wasn't revealed till the end came closer that the real antagonist of the story was Leanne. Ezra's evil mother. I mean, it was actually hinted at earlier on when Ezra was explaining to Kady that he couldn't leave the planet because him and his father were hiding from his mother. I really didn't think much of it at the time, but it was one of those significant little details that foreshadowed.

This book was so funny. It became apparent within the first couple of pages that I would be laughing a lot during the book. The humour is what pulled me in initially. Even in the most dire of situations the characters had some semblance of humour.

Because of the format this book was actually a really quick read despite being 600 pages. There were lots of pages that were full of pictures and poems and files. 

Despite the fact that Jimmy was only there for a brief period of time, I still really loved him. He was funny and seemed to be a really fantastic friend. I was sad to see him go. He was a good character and person.

So I'm not really a sci-fi person. One every here and there is fine, not exactly my favourite, but I really loved this one. I think everyone should read it at least once.

Quotes:

“I am frequently underestimated. I think it's because I'm short.” 

“She is catalyst.She is chaos.I can see why he loves her.” 

“I should have told you I loved you every day. I should have given you the stars.” 

 “He presses the triggers. And like roses in his hands, death blooms.” 

“Interviewer: So. Tell me about your mother.Ezra: You're taping this, right?Interviewer: Audio only. Camera is faulty.Ezra: Okay, well for the benefit of the sight-impaired, I am now raising my… oh, dear… yes, it's my MIDDLE finger at Mr. Postgrad here.Interviewer: Mr. Mason...Ezra: Now I'm wiggling it.Interviewer: Terminating interview at 13:58 on 03/19/75.Ezra: Look at it wiggl--audio ends-” 

The Radius of Us Book Talk (Spoiler Free)

The Radius of Us
By Marie Marquardt

Release Date: January 17th, 2017

Spoiler Free

Synopsis:

What happens when you fall in love with someone everyone seems determined to fear?

Ninety seconds can change a life — not just daily routine, but who you are as a person. Gretchen Asher knows this, because that’s how long a stranger held her body to the ground. When a car sped toward them and Gretchen’s attacker told her to run, she recognized a surprising terror in his eyes. And now she doesn’t even recognize herself.

Ninety seconds can change a life — not just the place you live, but the person others think you are. Phoenix Flores-Flores knows this, because months after setting off toward the U.S. / Mexico border in search of safety for his brother, he finally walked out of detention. But Phoenix didn’t just trade a perilous barrio in El Salvador for a leafy suburb in Atlanta. He became that person — the one his new neighbors crossed the street to avoid.

Ninety seconds can change a life — so how will the ninety seconds of Gretchen and Phoenix’s first encounter change theirs?

Told in alternating first person points of view, The Radius of Us is a story of love, sacrifice, and the journey from victim to survivor. It offers an intimate glimpse into the causes and devastating impact of Latino gang violence, both in the U.S. and in Central America, and explores the risks that victims take when they try to start over. Most importantly, Marie Marquardt's The Radius of Us shows how people struggling to overcome trauma can find healing in love.

My Thoughts:

I received an arc through a Goodreads Giveaway. 

I gave this book 4 stars. It was such a cute book. It showed the side of immigration that I've never really thought about before, it showed me a lot of things I never really dwelled on to long. It was a bit eye opening and it was a very solid read.

To me the themes of the story was just so important. A book about the difficulties in immigration, racism, and not knowing where you belong. The uncertainty of life in this new place. Also, the whole moving on in your life after a terrible thing happens to you. The difficulty in rehabilitating.

The bond between the protagonists made me happy. They just bonded in a seamless sort of way. They became friends, just slowly worked through everything together, and throughout the whole mess of their lives, they leaned on each other for support.

There were these little drawings in the book drawn by one of the characters and they were so well done. I loved those, they were like this little bit of ease from all the heavy contents of the novel.

Okay this part might be a little spoilery, but only if you're very sensitive, so skip this paragraph. I was so relieved by the end of the book. The characters found their closure and found each other, the book was the happiest ending I thought they could have and that made me happy. They learned that they were loved and cared for no matter who they were and they became better for that.

Sadly, this is an arc, so no quotes this time. You'' just have to take my word for it, that this book is worth reading!

Rebel Spring Book Talk

Rebel Spring
by Morgan Rhodes

Release Date: December 3rd, 2013

Spoilers

Synopsis:

Cleo is now a prisoner in her own palace, forced to be an ambassador for Mytica as the evil King Gaius lies to her people.

Magnus stands to eventually inherit the new kingdom but is still obsessed with his feelings for his adopted sister, Lucia.

Lucia is haunted by the outcome of the breathtaking display of magic that allowed her father to capture the kingdoms.

Jonas watched at the palace gates a troop of rebels behind him, waiting for him to tell them how he plans to overtake King Gaius.

After a bloody siege, Auranos has been defeated, its young queen orphaned and dethroned. The three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now unwillingly united as one country called Mytica. But the allure of ancient, dangerous magic beckons still, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the whole world over...

At the heart of the fray are four brave young people grappling for that magic and the power it promises. For Cleo, the magic would enable her to reclaim her royal seat. In Jonas's hands, it frees his nation, and in Lucia's, it fulfills the ancient prophecy of her destiny. And if the magic were Magnus's, he would finally prove his worth in the eyes of his cruel and scheming father, King Gaius, who rules Mytica with a punishing hand.

When Gaius begins to build a road into the Forbidden Mountains to physically link all of Mytica, he sparks a long-smoking fire in the hearts of the people that will forever change the face of this land. For Gaius's road is paved with blood, and its construction will have cosmic consequences.

My Thoughts:

I gave this book 5 stars. I really loved the plot, it was incredibly strong. Honestly, this book reminds me of a YA version of Game of Thrones.

I'm still not loving any of the characters in the series, I just don't really feel a connection to them. They do have potential though, I could see myself eventually liking them, I just need another book or two to really be invested in them and their lives.

Not a single character in this series is safe. The author is not afraid to kill of characters of some significance. It was shown in the first book and has been backed up in this book. Jonas himself was killed for a brief period of time after his best friend Brion was killed. Mira, Cleo's good friend was also killed without mercy. The only death I was actually happy about during this book was Aron's. Honestly, it felt like he was alive forever, and I found his death to be way too quick. I'm just glad that he finally kicked the bucket because I honestly don't know how much more of him I could take.

My favourite development of the book was in the last chapter when Lucia and Cleo made an alliance. I haven't really liked either of them, but I'm coming around. Those girls could rule the world together if they wanted.

Actually, I stand corrected my favourite development was when Nic got kissed by that one prince. I totally ship it. He was lusting after Cleo, and that was never going to happen, she was married and not at all in love with him, he was a friend for life. 

I wasn't really into this book at first, but that had more to do with my mood. I did put it down for a few months, but I finally just had the urge to read it. I did and I'm glad I did because this book was definitely worth the wait.

I just could not believe that Magnus and Cleo actually ended up going through with the wedding. They actually got married. This leads to so many questions. Will they stay married? Will they fall in love? Will one of them end up killing the other? Will Magnus ever get over Lucia?

I'm just glad that this is only the second book out of a decent sized series, there is lots of room for my questions to be answered.

The one thing I don't particularly like is that I feel like all the characters are pairing off into couples. I see this happen a lot in YA and NA. All the characters just have to be part of a romance. I'm not saying that I don't like these characters together, I just feel like the author just doesn't want them to be without a significant other, so they all just sort of "Fall in love" at the same time.

Overall, the story was well written and there is so much secrecy and plot intrigue, I can't wait to get to the next book and see where the characters head from there.

Quotes:

“I believe we make our own destinies, every last one of us.” 

“Darkness will always try to extinguish the light. The light will always try to repress the darkness.” 

“But even the coldest hate can shift into something warmer if given enough time, just as an ugly caterpillar can turn into a beautiful butterfly.” 

The prince moved closer still. Before Nic could fumble for his sword to protect himself form attack, Ashur took his face between his hands and kissed him.