Books and Music

Do you ever read a book with a particular song and every time you hear that song you feel nostalgic about that book? I have a couple of times and I wanted to show you guys my music to book pairings.

1. Double Cross by Malorie Blackman and Gravity Happens by Kate Voegele

The song in particular that makes me feel nostalgic about Double Cross is Enough For Always. It reminds me of the final scene of the novel where Tobey and Callie are sitting on the stairs contemplating their future together

       

2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and What Are You So Scared Of by Tonight Alive

               

This is probably the oddest pairing but for some reason any time I listen to To Die For it always reminds me of the love triangle between Lavender, Hermione and Ron- and for some odd reason, the school hallways.

3. Five Summers by Una Lamarche and 1989 by Taylor Swift 

                                   

 This one is different to the rest, because I didn't simutaeneously listen to this album and read the novel. It was after I had read the book, I had a dream about it and I Know Places and Wildest Dreams were playing in the background. It was more of the setting that resonated with.

This was definetly an unusual post, but I wanted to try something different and I wanted to combine my love for Books and Music in one post. I hope you enjoyed it anyway and I'lI see you in the next post

March Ebook Wrap Up!

Most of the books I read this month were eBooks and I wanted to be able to show you guys, so I came up with this post.

1. Hooked on the Game by C.M Owens (Sterling Shore no. 1)

This book is about a girl called Raya Cappperton in college who lives next to a guy who throws a lot of parties. A drunken accident causes her flat to become destroyed, with no money to find another place, the girl is forced to move in with the guy - Kade Colton - whose party caused all of this. 

I gave this book a 2 stars, it was free on Kindle so I wasn't as salty as I would have been if Ihad bought it. I felt this book was incredibly unrealistic and it dragged on far too long. What really annoys me about New Adult is the fact that the 'couple' for all intents and purposes acts like a couple, they kiss, they have sex and they spend all their time together. Yet they are still convinced that their feelings aren't mutual. How can someone be so insecure? It's so incredibly frustrating, I would be okay with it if the author wanted to explore the theme of insecurity but it was done simply to further the story and I can't stand that.

2. Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Colleen Hoover

Never Never is about a couple that woke up one day and have forgotten everything about themselves and have to figure out how and why it happened.

I gave this book a 4 stars, because I thought the plot was really interesting. I won't say too much about this book because it's a mystery, but I'm looking forward to the next one. 

3. Confess by Colleen Hoover

Confess is centered around Auburn Reed and her meeting with Owen Gentry - an artist that uses other peoples confessions as inspiration for his work. They meet when Auburn finds his studio and asks for a job, sparks fly immediately and they start dating. However, Owen's secrets may just ruin their relationship.

I made the mistake of reading this straight after Stolen by Lucy Christopher, which was not an easy read, because of this I couldn't get into this as much I wanted to. I still gave it a 4 stars, it started off ripping my heart out (like most Colleen Hoover novels). My favourite part of the novel was the confessions, I thought that was so creative and that I loved the twist at the end with the painting. 

4. Consolation by Corinne Micheals

This books is about a woman who has just lost her husband - a soldier- with a newborn baby to look after. She struggles to cope but then her husband's best friend Liam shows up and she finds herself falling for him.

I gave this book a 3 stars, because it was an interesting plot and I love the way the author allowed the protagonist to properly grieve. I knocked off the two stars because of the sex-shaming from both of the main characters. I won't say what it was or who it was directed as because it will spoil something major, but I couldn't stand the way they talked about women in general. Authors may try to do it to evoke sympathy from the reader for the protagonist, but I can't deal with that.  It made me sick and it also made me dislike the characters. Aside from that I really enjoyed the story and I'm looking forward for the finale.

5. All Lined Up by Cora Carmack

All Lined Up is a New Adult written in a dual point of view. The female protagonist is called Dallas whose father is a football coach. His profession has stifled her life and she's desperate for a fresh start at college. Unfortunately her father decided to take a coaching job at her college and the boy she's falling for is apart of that team. 

I gave this book a 3 stars! I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this book, I was expecting a typical New Adult novel. I loved how the characters grew from being friends to a couple .

6. All Broke Down by Cora Carmack

All Broke down is centered around two characters: Dylan, a fighter of lost causes, and Silas Moore, the self pronounced lost cause. This book really exceeded my expectations as I was expecting a typical good girl, bad boy relationship. I was expecting to hate Silas after what he did in All Lined Up, but Carmack did a great job in showing the depth of his character that made my view of him  change. It was really refreshing to see some important issues being brought up, what made me love Silas even more was how he defended Stella at the end. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author especially after reading her Author's note. I gave this book a 4 stars.

7. Too Far series by Abbi Glines (Rosemary Beach)

This series is about a girl called Blaire Wynn who has just lost her mother and calls upon her father for a place to stay. She finds herself at the home of Rush Finlay who is not pleased to see her. His initial dislike of her vanishes after realizing her true character and they begin to date. However Rush is keeping a secret that threatens to ruin their relationship. (Secrets seems to be a recurring theme in the New Adult genre.)

This was my first time reading Rush Too Far, which is Fallen Too Far in Rush's point of view. I definitely enjoyed his p.o.v more because we got to see his true character. I felt in Fallen Too Far he was too sexualised, it was hard to see who he really was so I couldn't attach myself to him. After reading this I understood his intentions a lot more. I gave this series a 3 stars.

8. Twisted Perfection by Abbi Glines 

This is a continuation of the Rosemary Beach series and it follows a girl called Della and her relationship with Woods Kerrington. I gave this book a 3 stars, Della had a rough childhood so I was able to deal with her insecurities. I liked the theme of duty or love that was interwoven in the story because of Woods and his family.

Those were all the eBooks I read in March! Thank you for reading this post and I'll see you in the next one

Book Porn Tuesday!

This week's book is a book whose cover has recently been revealed:

Queen of Shadows! 

(Click the book for the Goodreads page)

Queen of Shadows by Sarah. J. Mass! The cover on the left is the Hardback edition and the cover on the right is the UK Paperback. This is my most anticipated release of this year, it is the 4th installment of the Throne of Glass series and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. I won't divulge what Queen of Shadows is about - because spoilers. But Throne of Glass is basically, a YA high fantasy novel, about an Assassin called Caelena Saradothein who was captured and put in a work camp called Eindoheven.  This story take place a year after she has been enslaved; the prince of Adarlan comes to see her and offers her a bargain: Either rot in this work camp or compete in a tournament to become the King's champion. I considered this book to be 5* because it as my first Fantasy novel and it made me fall in love with the genre. To some, this book is enjoyable for the most part. This series on a whole is amazing and I strongly recommend that you start it NOW.

Book Porn Tuesday!

This week's cover is:

Genre: YA Contemporary (Goodreads page link is in the bio)

I absolutely adore this cover! While I normally dislike covers with people on them, this was done so well. It's so simplistic and I love how the red pops out. This book is about a seventeen year old girl called Grace, who wakes up in a white room and has to while away her time by writing what she lasts remembers. I swear this book is more than it seems! I just don't want to spoil it anything! It's very confusing so it's a book I had to re-read to fully get it. I gave it a 5* rating on my Goodreads.

*Trigger warning: There are cases of self harm and suicide in this novel. 

The Reader Problems Tag!

I was tagged by the wonderful Prescription fiction to do this tag!

Q.You have 20,000 books on you TBR. How in the world do you decide what to read next?

A.It is literally principle for me to read the book which I bought first. If I received a package from the mail, the book on top is the one I read first then I make my way down the pile. The only exception is if I have been reading a series and the next in the series is in the package.

Q.You are halfway through a book and you're just not loving it. Do you quit or are you committed?

A.You have to commit- especially if the book is terrible. Only then can I forget about the god-awful book and get it out of my system. Side effects from powering through: Self-lothing for wasting hours on such a dreadful book. (Free books on Amazon Kindle, I'm looking at you)

Q.The end of the year is coming and you're so close, but so far away on your Goodreads reading challenge. Do you try and catch up and how?

A.I would cheat! I'm so competitive so if that ever happened I'd just change  a few dates on my previously read books. No one would have to know (Except for you guys... shh). Honestly, I'm really good at marathoning books in one day, so I could probably finish the remaining books over a weekend.

Q.Everyone and their mother loved a book you really don't like, who do you bond with over shared feelings.

A.I usually go on goodreads and find a 1 star review and laugh at how aggravated they were at the protagonists.

Q.You are reading a book and you are about to start crying in public. How do you deal?

A.This actually happened on a bus while reading Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. I managed to stifle my tears until I got home, then bawled all night till like 4 in the morning. (I'm not even exaggerating this actually did happen).

Q. A sequel of a book you loved just came out, but you've forgotten a lot from the prior novel. Will you re-read the book? Skip the sequel? Try to find a synopsis on Goodreads? Cry in frustration?

A.Re-reading a series is thee best part of the experience. I think you get the nostalgia aspect (remembering when you first read it) of it, and you learn things you may have missed and have a better understanding of the world the story is set in. Shatter Me is a series I could read back-to-back over and over again. (I realise this has nothing to do with the question, but any chance to shamelessly plug this series).

Q.You don't want anyone - Anyone- borrowing your books. How do you politely tell people nope when they ask?

A.I'm a total push-over, so I'd be to afraid to say no. One time, I lent out Entangled by Cat Clarke and I didn't get it back. This girl was notorious for taking things and never returning them, so I don't know why I even gave it away. I never expected to see it again, until after the summer holidays came up and we wee talking about said book and she was like: "Oh yeah I forgot sorry!" Lesson Learnt: Maryam Ishaq needs to learn how to say no.

Q.Reading ADD. You've picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. how do you get over your reading slump?

A.Power through! Or read Harry Potter...

Q.There are so many books coming out that you're dying to read! How many do you actually buy?

A. I just buy them, and then have a panic attack because unlike Harry Potter,I'm frugal as hell.

Q.After you've bought the new books, how long do they sit on your shelf before you get to them?

I just devour them. Unless I've got a pile of them then it''ll take about a week. I tend to go through books really quickly and then I'm left feeling incredibly bored for the rest of the month.

That is all the hypothetical questions I have to answer, Thank you for reading my latest ramblings. Stay tuned for my next addition to Book Porn Tuesday (on Tuesday... obviously)

Book Porn Tuesday

I've decided to come up with a series on my channel. Basically every Tuesday I show you guys a book with a really pretty cover, and I explain how much I enjoyed it.

This week's book is:

Snow Like Ashes by Sarah Raasch!

Genre: Fantasy (tap/click the book to take you to it's Goodreads page)

'Snow Like Ashes' is a book that is centered around Four Kingdoms: Spring, Winter, Summer and Autumn. Sixteen years before this book began, Spring took over Winter and enslaved the entire population- except for eight. They have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter's magic and rebuild their Kingdom. The main character of this story is an orphan called Meira who is desperate to prove herself and play a role in the retaking of her kingdom. And her time has finally come, but it comes with a price.

Thoughts: 

I really enjoyed this book and I gave it a 5* on my goodreads page.  It started off slow as does any series (world building), then it slowly built up to 'woah! this is amazing' I'm still a bit confused over the terms and such, but I loved the world and the characters (especially Prince Theron). The book ended really well with no major cliff hanger so I'm in no hurry for the next one to come but I'm still really excited as to what will happen in Ice like Fire.

Thank you for reading this post. Next week's post will be The Reader's Problems Tag!

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge Book Talk

Plot:

This book is basically about a girl called Nyx who since birth has been betrothed to the Gentle Lord (the prince of demons) after her father made a bargain with him. Since she was nine she has been taught and trained to kill him upon her marriage to him. However, when they meet she begins to fall in love with him.

Non-Spoiler Review:

This book is a beauty and the beast retelling with a twist of  Greek mythology which I absolutely loved. I really enjoyed the story and the relationship between The Gentle Lord and Nyx, however I didn't really like any of the minor characters and there was no sub plots for them. I also didn't really like the climax of the novel as I felt it was a bit rushed. Nonetheless I still really enjoyed the book and I recommend you guys read it, especially if you like Greek mythology. 

Overall Rating: 4*

Talking Points (Spoilers):

• I first thought this was apart of a series so I was confused when the story seemed to have a proper ending  and not left on a cliffhanger. I quite liked that it was a stand-alone.
• I detested her family, that's what I disliked about this book- the minor characters. Although, I was intrigued by The Kindly Ones.
• Aunt Telomache was horrid. It must have been so awkward to have to listen to her bang on about the 'wifely duties' especially since she knew her father was having an  affair with her.
• Her father was the worst! He couldn't give a monkeys that he was throwing her daughter to probable death or even rape. All because of his stupid bargain. He constantly blames The Gentle Lord for the bargain, when it was his own fault for making a deal with a demon for God's sake
• Astaria was not a horrible person but I still disliked her, she was incredibly annoying and I understood why Nyx resented her. She was crying on her sister's wedding day as if it was her being sacrificed. And when Nyx returned home she was suddenly this blodd thirsty human who was despereate for Nyx to kill Ignifex. Then, she called her own sister a 'demon's whore'  because she fell in love with him.
• I also disliked Shade. And yes, I guessed that he was a part of Ignifex- whom I loved, but I found his character a lot more sinister than Ignifex himself. I think I disliked Shade mainly for the fact that he was getting in the way of Ignifex and Nyx being together. Then, when he shoved Nyx into the fire and Ignifex had to jail him while he bragged about how many of his wives he had killed. Suffice to say, I hated every character that wasn't Ignifex or Nyx.
• Nyx was a really interesting character, I really liked that she wasn't wholly good. She made smart decisions except when she listened to her sister and tried to kill Ignifex.
• Ignifex was my favourite character. I knew I was going to love him before I read the book, while reading I enjoyed his cocky demeanor and his vulnerable side when he was with Nyx. I loved how he always slept on her lap. My favourite quote from him was: "I hate him because he's a fool and a coward and he always tries to steal my wives."

Mainly I liked how the story wrapped up, but I was still confused as to what happened. All I can gather is that when Nyx tried to kill Inifex, it backfires and in the process Ignifex traps himself in the Pandora's box with all the Children of Typhoon.  Nyx forgot about him, life started over again, but she still had some flashbacks off her previous life. She somehow remembers Ignifex and rushes to save him from the Kindly Ones. I think her sacrifice for him was so kind they granted them freedom. 

I hope you enjoyed this discussion on Cruel Beauty and I'd love to hear you thoughts on the book. My next post will be on Tuesday. I'm starting a weekly series called: Book Porn Tuesday. This is where I show you all a book with a pretty cover and I discuss how I liked the book.