Top 10 Books of 2016!!!!

2016 has been such an amazing reading year and there's been loads of stunning books released. I'm going to list out my top 10 reads of the year. They may not necessarily have been released this year- it's simply the favourite books that I've, personally, read this year. My Book Talks for each of the books mentioned will be linked on the book title if you want to check them out!
In no particular order...

A Court of Mist and Fury- Sarah J. Maas 
Well, this one is in order. ACOMAF was by far my favourite read of this year and has assumed the position of my favourite book. ACOMAF is the second book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. While I liked the first book, I loved the second book and I am constantly- constantly- thinking about it and desperately waiting for the sequel, A Court of Wings and Ruin, to come out next year!





The Lunar Chronicles- Marissa Meyer
I'm fully aware that this is cheating but... they count as one book, okay? My favourite would be Winter, then Cress, then Cinder and finally Scarlet. So we'll count Winter as the favourite book. This is a series of fairy tale retellings with a sci-fi twist and this series is genius! These books are truly gold and absolutely blew me away. Don't be intimidated by the size (820 pages, Winter!) as it's so easy and quick to read- the pages turn themselves. Book Talks will be up soon, I promise!

December Wrap Up 2016

December was an good month- a bit of an odd one. I read bits and bobs- no specific genre or type of book seemed to be prominent.
I've managed to read a total of 90 books this year- smashing my goal of 75!


Red Rising (Red Rising#1)- Pierce Brown 
****
While this was November's Book of the Month, I started it in November and finished it in December. Red Rising is a sci-fi/dystopian novel set on Mars. It deals with the concept that Reds are discriminated in a world ruled by Golds. Darrow- a low-life red- transforms into a Gold in order to take them down from the inside. This book started off quite slow but grabbed me about half way through. My Book Talk will be linked here.




Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (The Original Screenplay)- J.K. Rowling 
**** (4.5 stars)
After watching the movie earlier this month (Adaptation Talk here), I picked up the screenplay straight away and got to reading. This prequel to the classic Harry Potter brought a whole new dimension to the wizarding world and I'm so excited for all that's to come. I'll link my Book Talk here.

Christmas Bookish Haul 2016!!!

 

I got so many amazing presents this Christmas and I'm so thankful for all of them!! I got a lot of bookish items so I thought I'd haul them all in one big post!

Books up first!

Angelfall- Susan Ee

This is the first in a trilogy of which I have the last two books and have been searching for the first for ages. I can finally read this trilogy!

An Ember in the Ashes- Sabaa Tahir

I read this earlier in the year but simply haven't had the chance to buy it yet. Can't wait to re-read and then get onto the sequel!

The Darkest Minds- Alexandra Bracken

I've heard so much about this trilogy and have always wanted to read it but have never found in the book store. I'll wait until I have the other two books before reading it but I'm super excited!

November 9- Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover is such a popular author at the moment and I still haven't read any of her books! I really wanted to read Ugly Love- and will someday- but November 9 was another of her books that really caught my attention.

Paper and Fire- Rachel Caine BOOK TALK

***
I really was impressed with this book. Paper and Fire is the second book in The Great Library series (the first book being Ink and Bone) and it blew my expectations out of the water. I liked the first book but didn't love it- it was 'meh'. I was expecting Paper and Fire to be the same sort of ranking but it was so much better! There was a bit of a slow start but I got really into it and thoroughly enjoyed the rest.
There were was excellent character development and the plot had many twists and turns that kept it entertaining.

GOODREADS

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD


While this book started off pretty slow, I was gripped at the point where Wolfe was being visited by a Mesmer. It was slower mainly because the whole gang was split up and Morgan wasn't there- I love Morgan.

December Book Haul 2016

Surprisingly, despite it being December, I still managed to buy more than a few books...oops. I figured I'd do a bit of an early December book haul and then an X-mas haul as well... just so that these posts aren't ridiculously long. Enjoy!



Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Original Screenplay)- J.K. Rowling 
As soon as I'd watched the movie, I rushed straight out to buy this beauty and sped-read it in one sitting that very night. It was glorious! I have a Book Talk up (linked here) if you missed it and also have an Adaptation Talk (linked here) on the actual movie! I'd 100% recommend reading it!

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy- Cassandra Clare & Co.
While I was at dear old Waterstones, Tales from a Shadowhunter Academy caught my eye in all it's hardback, massive glory and I thought that I'd treat myself with it. I don't know when I'll get to reading it but I still have to read The Bane Chronicles yet....the shame! This book is an assortment of short stories, similar to The Bane Chronicles, about Simon mainly I believe? Apparently it's a good book to read before Lady Midnight but I haven't so...it's not essential.

'Tis the Season BOOK TAG

Tis the season to be jolly! So, let's talk about books! (No surprises there, then). I first saw this tag on Katytastic's Booktube channel so be sure to check that out here!
On with the tag!

1. Do you have a favourite winter read? 
Undone- Cat Clarke
While this isn't exactly a wintery read, I re-read it every December because it's one of my favourites so it's naturally turned into a wintery read for me. Funnily enough, I'm reading it right now and I am loving it! It's so easy to read and will always be one of my favourites!

2. Find a book with blue on the cover!
A Court of Mist and Fury!!! Of course I'd find a way to mention my favourite book! Isn't the cover beautiful?

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Original Screenplay)- J.K. Rowling BOOK TALK

**** (4.5 stars)

Obviously, I'm giving this screenplay the same star rating as the movie but... we saw that coming, right?

After watching the movie, I had to go straight out, buy and read the screenplay to get all the nitty-gritty details into my head. And, let me tell you, it was so good!

It only took me about an hour to read the whole thing but, boy, it was a good hour. I'd completely recommend reading this because it gives you such a further insight on the story and what's happening. There are deeper descriptions between each look and action and everything connects so much nicer. It's much easier to keep track of what each creature looks like and what they are called.

I can also safely say- though you can probably see for yourself- that this book is gorgeous! And the illustrations of the creatures inside the book? Stunning!

Would whole-heartedly recommend picking this up!

Also... go see the movie if you haven't yet! (Obviously).

I have an Adaptation Talk for the movie linked here if you missed it! 

 

GOODREADS

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
Reading this screenplay was so amazing! The detail we get is astounding and, as I'd already seen the movie, it was playing out in my head so beautifully.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ADAPTATION TALK

**** (4.5 stars)
I've finally seen it! There has been so much hype on this movie it's insane and, as its written by our very own J.K. Rowling, why wouldn't it have?
I was fangirling so freaking much when the Warner Bros logo came on with the Harry Potter theme the background!
Wow! Okay! Fangirl over, I promise.
A solid four point five out of five stars and, while I did absolutely love it- I have to add my two pence to the budding debate- is it better than dear old Harry Potter?
In my opinion, no! You can't beat classic Harry Potter. How can you compete with Hermione, Luna Lovegood, Lupid, Neville Ron, Dobby, Hagrid, Fred and George? And no villain can ever beat Umbridge! (Also Voldemort...)
I went into this movie knowing next to nothing and I like that- it was great to be surprised with all the effects and characters. The only thing that might get a bit confusing is the names of all the characters and creatures- everything flies at you so fast that it's sometimes a struggle to keep up and catch everything.
Of course I'd recommend this movie! It's a no-brainer. Go see it!

TRAILER

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
Newt Scamander is the world's new heart-throb, I swear. He's cute, socially awkward and prefers animals over humans. So, in other words....perfect?
Tina was also cool- and love interest??? I wasn't a massive fan of her to start with but I grew to like her as the movie went on.

TVD 8x06 'Detoured On Some Random Backwards Path to Hell' TV TALK

Team Parent!!

'Detoured on some random backwards path to hell' is a Caroline Forbes quote which I think works extremely well for this episode as Caroline, in my opinion, is the leading lady.

What an episode! A lot of the plans were unveiled in this episode and so much happened! Everything unfurled and the action was brutal!

TVD 8x01 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x02 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x03 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x04 TV TALK
TVD 8x05 TV TALK 

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD 

Caroline doesn't deserve this pain!!!!!

Right from the beginning I was pumped to see Alaric and Caroline defend their kids and fight for them! And that's just what we got. We started the episode with a very threatening encounter between Ric and Seline. And well done to Alaric! Seline actually looked scared at Ric's threat! Hell yeah, you go, Ric!
The family reunion siren edition was fun! I didn't expect such a prickly atmosphere between the two. I was expecting...two masterminds joining forces but...I don't blame Sybil for being a bit mad. She had a perfectly legitimate reason to be. But watching them bicker through the whole episode was a hilarious highlight for me.
My Steroline heart was breaking in this episode. I totally understand where Carebear was coming from but watching her give that ring back was soul-wrenching.

Red Rising- Pierce Brown BOOK TALK

*** (3.5 stars)
This book was good! It was full of sci-fi, action and even a little bit of romance (though, honestly, not much). The beginning section of the book is a bit over-whelming and it takes a while to get your head around all the new vocabulary and make sense of the world but...once you have, it gets hecka interesting!
I would say that Red Rising is an elaborate blend of Legend (Marie Lu), An Ember in the Ashes (Sabaa Tahir) and The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins). And it's all of this... but also set on Mars.
I don't often read sci-fi books but this one really impressed me. I love the battle strategy and war plot lines and we meet a lot of great characters in this book.
I wouldn't say there's a cliffhanger but I am definitely going to be reading the next book at some point.

GOODREADS

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD

It took me a long and painful time to read this book but I can safely say that it wasn't the books fault. Yes, there were times that I just couldn't be bothered to read a repeated version of the same battle but, for the most part, this book kept me thoroughly gripped and it was due to my own busyness that I didn't read this as quickly as I'd wanted to.  

In my head, I split this book into sections simply because so much friggin happens! It may just be because I read this book over a long time but, it felt like an entire trilogy. Especially in the beginning, Pierce Brown brushes over so many events in a flick of a paragraph. Eo and Darrow's deaths were super quick and Darrow's transformation into a Gold was completely over in a few chapters. Thinking back to the beginning of the book...it feels so long ago because we've come so far!

December Releases and TBR 2016

Releases:
Crystal Storm (Fallen Kingdoms #5)- Morgan Rhodes 
The Selection (Kiera Cass) Colouring Book  
Red Queen (Victoria Aveyard) Colouring Book
Spindle (A Thousand Nights #2)- E.K Johnston 
The Secret off a Heart- Stacey Lee 
Take the Key and Lock Her Up- Ally Carter
Rules of the Game (Endgame #3)- James Frey 


TBR: 

Undone- Cat Clarke 
For some reason, I read this book every December of every year. I've done it for the last few years and will always continue to do so. Undone is one of my favourite books and, while it isn't exactly cheery for the season of joy, I like it as a 'winter' book.

Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2)- Rachel Caine
Paper and Fire is the December's Book of the Month!! This is the second book in the The Great Library series by Rachel Caine. I did enjoy the first book (I didn't love it) but I'm excited too see where the story will take us.

TVD 8x05 'Coming Home Was Mistake' TV TALK

They're too cute!!!!!!

Finally we have Stefan Salvatore quote!!!
After all the Delena quotes, Stefan finally appears!
This episode wasn't as jam-packed as the last one but, wow, it was still exciting! And that cliff-hanger? I'm so excited for episode six.
This episode took us back to the beloved carnival from... series two I wanna say? The episode brought back lots of nostalgia and we only had.... five Elena mentions in this episode.



TVD 8x01 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x02 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x03 TV TALK | TVD 8x04 TV TALK

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD 
I'm beginning to think that Matt has a perpetual 'you killed my puppy' face. Poor Matty blue-blue. He's been through a lot but, surprise surprise, there's a reason why he has to stay! (But thank God that Matt was there to give Caroline some pointers about Seline...).

November Wrap Up 2016

This month was...'okay'. I read mostly ARCs that I'd been sent because I was a bit behind (still severely behind) and after reading Flawed, I had a massive book hangover because it was so good and I needed the sequel (that doesn't come out until April 2017).

Theta (Omega #2)- Lizzy Ford 
**
I was sent this ARC via Netgalley and....I didn't particularly like it. I had a few issues with it and personally wouldn't recommend it. I do have a full Book Talk for it so, if you'd like to know more about what the book is about, check it out here.






Weregirl- C.D. Bell
***
I was sent this book by the publisher and it was good. I had pretty low expectations so was super surprised with what I got. This book is unique despite the worn-out subject of werewolves and it gripped me nicely. This book follows Nessa who, when going running in the woods one day, gets bitten by a wolf and (shock horror!!) turns into a werewolf. I like how this book didn't solely focus on this aspect though as they were greater plot lines to draw the attention. I have a Book Talk for this book also, which you can check out here for all the book details, synopsis, etc.

November Book Haul 2016

Not many books this month but.... quality not quantity, right? Plus, I need to save something for Christmas!

Empire of Storms- Sarah J. Maas (Beautiful American Edition)

Recently, I went on holiday to New York (I live in the UK). It was such an amazing trip and, of course, I had to visit Barnes and Noble to compare it to my own local Waterstones. The edition I originally own of Empire of Storms is the British paperback version so...as it's one of my favourite books, I couldn't resist buying an gorgeous hardback copy of the American edition. But that's not it.... I bought a Barnes and Noble special edition that includes an extra short story and fan art of the characters!!! It's so stunning, I can't even! 

Empire of Storms is the fifth book in the Throne of Glass series that I would very much recommend. I also have a BOOK TALK for this book which I'll link here for you to check out!

The Bad Boy Bargain- Kendra C. Highley BOOK TOUR REVIEW

***

I was sent a digital ARC of this book from Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. 

If you need a cute, funny, angsty romance read to warm you up over winter- The Bad Boy Bargain is definitely a contender. 

It was a quick and easy read- very simple to follow along with and a lot of fun to read. It was as smooth as butter and (if you'll excuse the lousy metaphor), it was just all too easy to melt right into. 

The romantic relationship was all sorts of sweet- if a bit frustrating at times. At points, you kind of get the urge to strangle the two protagonists for being so ignorant of the obvious but... we'll let that one slide for love, right?

When going into this book, I was expecting a lot of sass and witty comebacks (because, let's face it- all of our fictional crushes have a high level of sass) but I didn't get as much as I wanted. I let the 'Bad Boy' part of the title blind me and- without divulging too much spoilery information- it wasn't really like that. 

I would compare this book with To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han because they both have the sort of premise that a fake relationship 'deal' can grow into something more... and yes, I kept that as vague as I possibly could. 

This book was such a nice read and I'd certainly recommend it for all you romance lovers out there. 

All the book links, author links and synopsis will be below my review for you to check out the book!

GOODREADS

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD

One thing I will say about this book...Kyle Sawyer working shirtless in the back garden? Such a nice image in my head for the majority of this book. So thank you, Kendra, for that one. 

Flawed- Cecelia Ahern BOOK TALK

*****
This book was amazing! It was perfect. Ironically, it was flawless.
This is exactly the type of book I like to read. Ahern has written one of my favourite books (Where Rainbows End) and I think that this book is even better! I have a personal obsession with the social hierarchy and the social norms, influences and consequences of our society- this book delivered on this unique and fascinating subject.
I'm not usually into 'politically inclined' reads but this one completely grabbed me because it didn't feel too political- it was just fascinating.
I will also say (no spoilers) that while this book had a very very small 'romance', I can definitely see it heating it up in the sequel and seeing a certain two characters grow their relationship (I'm so excited!).
The premise of this book sort of reminded me of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld but...let's just say it's executed much much better.
Flawed is about a society where perfection is paramount and mistakes are punished. If you make a moral or ethical mistake, you are branded Flawed and segregated from the rest of society- forced to follow curfew, basic diets, no luxuries, limited employment etc.
Celestine has no idea how she can be branded as Flawed- to her, what she did was common sense- it was simple compassion. But that's not the verdict she's given. When she's branded Flawed she needs to learn how to live with this sentence- or she can fight back.
I would definitely recommend this book and I can't wait for the sequel/finale to come out next year! This book has given me such a major hangover!

GOODREADS

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD

I don't agree with the society but I find it fascinating! It's a serious version of what our own society could become and I love how Cecelia has created this alternate world. 

I respected Celestine so much. She stood by her beliefs- a human being despite him being flawed! She has a way with words and she's very strong- willed which I love.

ACOTAR 3 TITLE REVEAL!!!!

In case you didn't already know, Sarah J. Maas has revealed the title for the third book in her A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Firstly, the initials were revealed ACOWAR and the internet was free to go wild with guesses! My guesses were either A Court of War and Ruin or A Court of Wrath and Ruin but obviously.... my guesses were wrong (still pretty close though). 

The next ACOTAR title is........

A Court of Wings and Ruin!!!!!!!!!!! 

I'm so freaking excited for this book! 

I'd love to hear your thoughts of the title and what you guessed it would be!! Comment below! 

Thanks for reading! Stay amazing! 

Chloe

TVD 8x04 'An Eternity of Misery' TV TALK

Spot on, Georgie...Spot on.

'An Eternity of Misery'... Certainly fitting.
This episode has to be my favourite of the series so far! It had flashbacks, action and many surprises! Was it a coincidence that Bonnie wasn't in the episode? Of course not...
'An eternity of misery' is yet another quote from the one and only Damon Salvatore and, considering what we learnt this episode, it is very relevant!
We've had 'the other side' hell, 'prison world' hell, 'phoenix stone' hell and now... well, now we have literal hell.

TVD 8x01 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x02 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x03 TV TALK

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
We had a lot of sass this episode which is probably the reason why I loved it so much, The previous episodes have been pretty depressing (no one having any hope and all) so the comic relief was much needed!
Exhibit A:
'The all powerful siren imprisoned by a fork.'- Stefan 
'Says the man who can be killed with a stick.'- Sybil 
(A personal favourite exchange of mine).

Theta (Omega #2)- Lizzy Ford BOOK TALK

**
I was sent this book from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Much to my dismay, not all the books I review on this blog are going to be overly positive (though I wish they were). Before you start getting very negative views on this book, it wasn't bad. It was okay and there are many great things about this book that I'll probably forget to mention because I'll be mainly focusing on my issues with it.
Disclaimer: Do not (and I repeat; do not) take my opinion as your own. You may love this book and this series so don't take my word as law.
My Non-spoiler BOOK TALK for the first book Omega will be linked here for you to take a look at.
This story wasn't disappointing in any way- mainly because I didn't have high expectations. The first book was 'meh' and the second book followed suit. The general plot tends to get a bit confusing as there are so many different characters and secret agendas and the romance (can I even call it a romance?) is very slow- to the point of not existing. If you like Greek God books, I'd suggest giving it a try- you may absolutely love it.

GOODREADS

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
So, basically, we're at book two.....and I still have no idea what's going on. I thought we'd be past this by now.

Weregirl- C.D. Bell BOOK TOUR REVIEW

***
I was kindly sent this book by the publishers in exchange for an honest review. 
Yes, yes, wolf books are far from cliché at the moment. I know, I know but...honestly? It's nice to have a bit cheese every now and then! It's nice to relax, sit back, and sink into a well-written, easy read. If it happens to be about a well-loved subject of werewolves? So, what?! It was a beautiful, unique, read and I desperately enjoyed it.
It wasn't your general werewolf story. Yes, the main character was bitten and turned but it wasn't the main focus of the story. There was so much depth and intertwining plot-lines that the fact that the heroine could turn into a wolf...it was just a given! And I liked that. There wasn't a major drama about the struggle to turn and I was so relieved about that.
There was a tiny bit of romance included... if I can say that definitively. Yes, it was small but it was there! It's the thought that counts.
I would definitely recommend this book for lovers of  supernatural and sci-fi mainly but, as with any book, there are so many different genre and topic layers on top of those.
All the book links, author info and synopsis are below this Book Talk if you'd like to check the book out!

GOODREADS

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD 
This book was so beautifully easy to read. Seeing as though I read it over an eight-hour plane journey...it sunk into my system pretty quickly. And I think that makes it even better! It managed to hold my attention all through a long and tiring plane journey! Hats off to you, C. D. Bell.

Iniquity (Ascent #1)- Melody Winter BOOK TOUR REVIEW

***
I received this ARC from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for a honest review. 
I don't know what I was expecting from this book but... it wasn't that. 
This book had such a unique and intriguing world and it makes me so excited for the next book. I think there's so much more to come from this series and I'm excited to see how it pans out.
The characters were, in general, lovable and the plot was executed at a nice pace. When first starting this book, I pretty much thought that I knew where the plot was going but it took a surprising turn that I appreciated and loved.
The book synopsis, links and author info are below this Book Talk in case you want to check the book out!

GOODREADS

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
Athena was a great character (and not just because of her cool name). She was a strong-willed woman with a sturdy back-bone and I loved that about her. She had morals, principles and she stood by them. She has this determination to bring back the light and she doesn't let anyone warp that dream in her. I respected her a lot and I think that books are so much easier to read when you have a character you love.