June Releases and TBR 2016

Releases- (Dates courtesy of Goodreads)

7th The Marked Girl- Lindsey Klingele
14th Change Places With Me- Lois Metzger
21st Never Ever- Sara Saedi
28th Run- Kody Keplinger

(Goodreads pages are linked)


TBR
I've got a very busy few months coming up but, still, I hope that I can read a decent amount. These are a couple of books that I'm hoping to get to.

Half Wild- Sally Green BOOK TALK

Oh, my freaking God, this book was good! It was a great sequel and did not suffer at all from 'the sequel's not as good' problem- if anything, I probably liked it more.
This fantasy is a fantastically written world full of witches, politics and action. If any of that sounds interesting, it's definitely one for you to pick on up.
Half Wild is the second book in the Half Bad trilogy so if you haven't read the first book I'd suggest leaving until you do... I've also written a Half Bad BOOK TALK which I'll link here if you want to have a look before reading this one.



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I don't even know where to start with this book. I liked it even more than the first and cannot wait to finish off the series.
New faces were introduced in this book and, for the most part, I generally liked them.

May Wrap Up 2016

I think I did pretty well with reading this month and, surprisingly, I didn't re-read any! I'm a big fan of re-reading books and usually re-read one or two a month. But, honestly, at the moment, there are so many books I need to read, I can't keep up. I also read a great range of genres which was really interesting.

The Book Thief- Markus Zusak
****
I finally got round to reading this book! If you haven't heard of this novel- have you been living under a rock?- it's a historical fiction story that follows a girl called Liesel and her experiences during World War Two. The story is narrated by Death which I found intriguing from the start and... I loved Death! His voice was very quirky and witty and he told the story beautifully. If you want to read my more in-depth thoughts check out my BOOK TALK here.






The Diary of a Young Girl- Anne Frank
****
I enjoyed this so much! I could relate to Anne in so many ways and she was nothing like I'd thought she would be. I thought she would be a quiet and shy, polite and obedient girl but boy, was she anything but! Anne was funny, sassy, stubborn and a joy to read. It still baffles me that she actually existed and it makes me really happy that she wrote down her thoughts. They are so deep and meaningful for a girl her age- a true inspiration!

Empire of Storms Cover Reveal

So, here we are. Four books in, soon to be five. We've had the title and have been anxiously awaiting the cover reveal. Well, guys, we have made it! The cover has been dropped and, boy, is it a good one! The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas has been a rising high fantasy series within YA and we're getting near the end! And, yet, we still have so far to go!
The fifth book, Empire of Storms is set to come out in September and I am counting down the days.
Book cover reveal in three...two...one...

May Book Haul 2016

Compared to other months, I haven't got many books this month but I still think that this month has been successful. What has lacked in quantity, makes up for in quality. I've bought some really good books- novels that I've been anticipating for a while. Let's get started.


Passenger- Alexandra Bracken
There has been so much- so much!- hype for this book. I've always wanted to read an Alex Bracken book because she seems like an amazing author. Her Darkest Minds trilogy has been so successful and this is her newest series about time travellers!!! I can't wait to read it! Plus, it has a stunning cover!
 

Half Bad- Sally Green BOOK TALK

****
I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. I was in a fantasy mood and this book fitted the bill perfectly. I'm not usually a massive fan of witches but this book exceeded my expectations.
This story follows Nathan Byrn, a Half Code witch- son of a White Witch and Black Witch. His mother is dead and his father is one of the most well-known Black Witches, famous for being a notorious murderer.
Nathan is constantly looked on as suspicious and has to escape from council clutches in order to have a Giving ceremony and turn into a fully fledged witch.
He has to do this or die.
If any of this sounds interesting to you, I would suggest reading. This is the first book in a trilogy so you'll have a nice amount of material to read.

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This book was so good and I thought it was a nice change to read about Witches as I don't read about them much. Green has created such an interesting world of Witches and the politics of their world is so intricate and absorbing.
I liked how her thoughts and opinions on racial discrimination were blended through this book. The equality and discrimination issues in their world reflect our own and I thought that this was an insightful aspect to include within a fantasy novel.

When We Collided- Emery Lord BOOK TALK

****
This book was very unique, in my opinion, and strayed far from conventional 'love stories'. I found this refreshing and enjoyed the story overall. This book deals with very untouched subjects and I think it's important that books like these exist because it gives us an insight on how people live with these situations.
This story follows a boy called Jonah who has just lost his father. Him and his family are dealing with the after-effects of this tragedy. Enter Vivi. Vivi is an out-going and eccentric girl who is in love with life. When she catapults into Jonah's life things seem to be on the up for him and his family. But everyone goes through their own problems and sometimes it's deeper than initial appearances.
This story is definitely refreshing and I would most certainly recommend reading it.

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When first into this story I was pleasantly surprised at the originality of the characters. I instantly warmed to them in different ways.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before NEWS

To All The Boys I've Loved Before is one of my favourite contemporary series and we've just had the news that we're getting another book in the series!!!

What was once a happy duology is now growing into a trilogy! I'm so excited and can't wait to read another book following these amazing characters. If, by chance, you haven't read this stunning series, I suggest you get onto the bandwagon before the third and final book.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before follows Lara Jean, who writes a letter every time she 'loves' someone just so that she get over them. She writes and addresses these letters but never sends them. But one day, they're sent out and all hell breaks loose.

This series is so adorable and cute and I highly recommend you read it. 

The title for Book 3 is going to be. . . (drum roll). . .

Bookish Pet Peeves (Part 2)



It's rant time! I decided it would be fun to do yet another Bookish Pet Peeves post because there are so many things I can have a good rant about. Plus, I'm sure a lot of agree with me! 

Stickers on Books

When bookstores put stickers on books... *inward fuming*.
Not only does it take forever to get off, it ruins the book by leaving sticky marks and left over pieces of sticker. It's a nightmare to get off!
Some, to be fair, are easy to get off. In one swipe, they're off and out your lives forever.
But there's always that one sticker that refuses to budge. It's stubborn in its place and will not move for the wide world. (Okay... I understand I'm exaggerating but, honestly, that's how it feels).
It's a very time-consuming and tedious process to try and get the stickers off without harming the book.

The Book Thief- Markus Zusak BOOK TALK

****
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm not a massive fan of historical fiction but this book still managed to pull me in. I loved the writing style as it was so unique and flowed really nicely throughout the novel.
The Book Thief follows a young girl called Liesel Meminger through pivotal years in World War Two. It follows her journey as she settles into her new home and makes new relationships. The book centres around, mainly, Liesel, an accordionist, a Jewish fist-fighter and a lot of thievery.
Oh, and one last thing- the story is narrated by Death.
If you haven't already this beauty of a novel then I highly suggest you become acquainted with it. Quickly.
That's it for the non-spoiler section. Go read it and then you can come back!

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This book in all honesty surprised me. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction but this story captivated me. My favourite periods of time to read about is the Titanic story and World War Two. This story, falling in the latter group, was incredibly interesting.

Jennifer Lawrence Book Tag

1. Swearing off social media- A book you refuse to read?
Matched- Ally Condie
At one point, I was thinking about reading this trilogy but since then, I've heard so many bad reviews that I'm sort of put off reading it. It's not my top priority and I don't think I'll ever be getting to it.

2. The Oscar Trip- A book/series that hit a snag?
Hush, Hush series- Becca Fitzpatrick
When first reading this series, I loved it. But looking back now, I realise it's flaws. The series got worse throughout the series. Silence (the third book) was my least favourite and I really struggled to read that book. Sorry.

3. The viral TSwift photobomb at the Golden Globes- A book/series you didn't know would get so popular?
Throne of Glass- Sarah J Maas
This series has had a ton of hype recently and it's getting so popular! With two more books to come in the series, it's not too late to start. This series is an amazing high fantasy series that is beautifully written but, when first reading it, I had no idea that it would get so popular.

Harry Potter Spells Tag

1. Expecto Patronum- A childhood book connected to good memories
Hetty Feather- Jacqueline Wilson
I always loved Jacqueline Wilson as kid- she was my favourite author- and this, by far, was my favourite of her series. I don't know how many times I read it. A lot.

2. Expelliarmus- A book that took you by surprise
Wolf by Wolf- Ryan Graudin
I'd picked this up because I'd heard a few good reviews and the plot seemed intriguing but I was not expecting what came at me! This book was so much better than I was expecting and I was so pleasantly surprised! I would recommend it to everyone.

3. Prior Incantato- The last book you read
I have recently finished The Book Thief and very soon will be posting a BOOK TALK so stay tuned! (I gave it ****)

4. Alohamora- A book that introduced you to a genre you had not considered before
The Host- Stephanie Meyer
I'm not a massive fan of Sci-fi. I don't read it that much but I really enjoyed this book. I know it can also be classed as dystopian but it is sci-fi too! I think this book is very underrated and I think more people need to read it. Yes, it's big and can look a bit daunting at first but get through the first few chapters and you'll be off.

May Releases and TBR 2016

Releases:
A Court of Mist and Fury- Sarah J Maas- 3rd
The Crown- Kiera Cass- 3rd
Lost in Love- Susane Colasanti- 3rd
The Hidden Oracle- Rick Riordan 3rd
The Unexpected Everything- Morgan Matson- 5th
The Last Star- Rick Yancy- 24th

TBR:
The Book Thief- Markus Zusak
I've already started reading this book and will finish it in May. It's extremely good so far and stay tuned for a BOOK TALK coming soon.
The Diary of a Young Girl- Anne Frank
Reading The Book Thief has really re-opened my desire to read this book. I've been wanting to read this book for a long time and The Book Thief has just pushed it to the fore-front of my mind. I'm hoping to get to it this month.

April Wrap Up 2016

Rapture- Lauren Kate (Re-read)
*
I painfully finished this series this month. I wish I'd never re-read it because it's really ruined it for me. Re-reading highlighted so many errors in the series and I still don't like how the series ended! No spoilers but it always makes me feel like there was no point in reading the whole series. A disappointing ending to say the least. (Sorry, if you like this book. This is just my personal opinion. If you love it, that's great- I wish I did).






To All The Boys I've Loved Before- Jenny Han (Re-read)
*****
This book is the cutest, most adorable book out there! The story follows a girl called Lara Jean who, every time she falls in love, writes a letter  to that person, holding nothing back. She seals the letter, addresses them and keeps them in a teal hatbox- never sent. But one day, they get sent out. And a lot of embarrassing events follow... But it's so good! I'd definitely recommend it- it's a quick and entertaining read.

April Book Haul 2016

This month was another good month in terms of getting lots of books. I got a total of twelve books. I started off the month so well and by the end... I'd just accumulated so many books without even realising the amount!

Ink and Bone- Rachel Caine
Ever since meeting Rachel Caine, I've wanted to buy and read all her books and this one is her newest series about a great library. You could say it spiked my interest.







We Were Liars- E. Lockhart
Every couple of months, me and my friend pick a book that we will both read and then we discuss it when we've both finished, (kind of like a private book club). This month we chose We Were Liars and I didn't have that book so it gave me the perfect reason to buy it. (Check out my BOOK TALK at http://forever-fictional.blogspot.com/2016/04/we-were-liars-e-lockhart-book-talk.html )

We Were Liars- Further BOOK TALK

After finishing We Were Liars for the first time, I was so astonished that the desire to go back and read it all again was too much to ignore. And so, the very next day, I went straight back to the beginning and read it again.
It was such a great experience because I could look at the story from a completely new, enlightened perspective and it made the book unbelievably more beautiful. If you want to go and see my original BOOK TALK you're free to go to  http://forever-fictional.blogspot.com/2016/04/we-were-liars-e-lockhart-book-talk.html and read it.

Obviously, I'm going to jump straight into the spoilers so PLEASE don't continue if you haven't read it yet- it will ruin the whole thing and I don't want to do that to you.

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Re-reading this, honestly, just made me feel so stupid! I don't know how I didn't guess what happened. E Lockhart drops hints the entire way through and looking back, it's so obvious!
There are two main theories going round about what happened and how. Number One- Gat, Johnny and Mirren were hallucintaions made up by Cadence's subconscious to shield herself from the pain of losing them. Number Two- That they were ghosts and the book had a supernatural element.
Personally, when first reading this, I was convinced on theory Number One- it seemd more tragic and I didn't like the idea of a supernatural element intruding on this book. However, having re-read it, I can see how this theory makes sense. Despite me still believeing that they were hallucinations, I found a lot of hints that could imply that they were actually there with her as ghosts.

I'll go through a few hints and clues that I probably should have realised and that you may have missed, yourself.

We Were Liars- E. Lockhart BOOK TALK

*****
I can't talk much about this book because I think it's best to go into this book knowing as little as possible. We Were Liars follows the Sinclair family- a rich and proud family. Every summer, the entire family stays at an island that they own and spend time with each other. It's a tale of family, friendship and tragedy.
This book has been extremely hyped up- and my 5 star rating doesn't necessarily contradict that hype- but try going into this book with no expectations- it will be better in the long run.
That's all I can really say, so go read it and then you can come back once you've finished it.



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There is not even a Scrabble for how bad I feel.
About the ending...not the book, don't worry.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing style was so incredibly beautiful and poetic that I couldn't help but be pulled in from the start.
It did take a bit of time to get all the characters and family ties sorted in my head but, once I knew who everyone was, I was off like a shot.
E. Lockhart writes so intricately and every word seems to have been thought through perfectly. It's easy to tell that Lockhart is into her metaphors and she executed them in a way that I truly appreciated. The thing with her metaphors is that you don't know that they aren't literal. You have to take a step back and think things through. One, for example, had me so completely shocked until I read on and realised that it was metaphorical.
'Then he pulled out a handgun and shot me in the chest. I was standing on the lawn and I fell. The bullet hole opened wide and my heart rolled out of my rib cage and down into a flower bed. Blood gushed from my open wound,
then from my eyes,
my ears,
my mouth.
It tasted like salt and failure.'
When reading this my eyes nearly popped out of my head, I was so surprised. Only when you read on do you realise that it's just a metaphor for her feelings. Lockhart's writing is so intense, it was a pleasure to read.

The List- Siobhan Vivian BOOK TALK

***
This story is set in a school and, as a tradition every year, a list is made anonymously and posted all around the school. The list contains the names of two girls from each year group- one is labelled as the prettiest in the year while the other is labelled as the ugliest. The book follows this years' group of girls who have been unfortunately included in the list and what the consequences are of being in the centre of everyone's attention.
This book was certainly an enjoyable read and I really liked the clear message and display of society's issues. It was an honest representation of the problems with society and how it affects people's lives.
While, as a whole, it wasn't incredible, it was still a great read.



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When going into this book I found the amount of characters a bit overwhelming. There were so many names, siblings, friendships within each year group and it was a struggle to keep up with who was who.
To get past this, my genius self, thought up a technique to remember all the names. Basically, I got a sheet of paper and I created a sort of family-tree with the different characters- this way, I could write down any notes that helped me identify and remember the character's role. This helped me a lot during the beginning stages of the book.
This wasn't a massive issue in the book for me, though. By 100 pages in, I knew all the characters and their relationships.
I'll go through each character separately because, even though their stories intertwine greatly, they each have different stories and issues that they go through.

Would You Rather Book Tag

1. Only read series or standalone books?
Series. Standalones are okay but I think that series are definitely more worth the read. In series there is so much more character development and you get so much more material on the characters that you love. For me, this question's easy.
2. Only female authors or only male authors?
I don't want to seem sexist but, any day, I would go with female authors. It's not that I dislike male authors; I don't. There are plenty of books that I love by male authors but it just happens that most of the books I read are by females. I have way more female books compared to male and it just naturally happens like that- I don't do it on purpose. I don't go out of my way to read female books. So, that's why I would only read books with female authors.
3. Bookstore or online?
This is hard because normally I would say bookstore as I buy books from there more. I only order books online if I can't ever find them at a shop. But, if this was for the rest of my life and I could only pick one, I would go with online. The way I see it; there's no guarantee that you can get every book from a store but you can get everything online.

Book Blogger Confessions Tag

1. Which book, most recently, did you not finish?
Hold Me Closer- David Levithan
I barely started this before giving up. I didn't like the musical set up of it and I just wasn't grabbed by the story. Sorry...






2. Which book is your guilty pleasure?
The DUFF- Kody Keplinger
I will never feel ashamed for loving this book. Yes, the movie adaptation is kinda rubbish but I LOVE this book and forever will! It's so purely entertaining and brainlessly enjoyable. It's a great read to get out of a slump. (Ps- ignore the ugly cover. Get past that and it's amazing, I promise).